United States v. Jaffe
Bernard Jaffe, Jr. pleaded guilty to making false statements to an FDIC-insured bank, defrauding the Bank of New York of $20 million. He was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $18.1 million in restitution. The District Court denied his motion for a downward departure based on his 43-year-old daughter's alleged dependency, deeming her not uniquely reliant. Despite initial reservations regarding his cooperation, Jaffe received a three-level sentencing reduction for acceptance of responsibility. The court established a restitution payment schedule, including a 9% interest rate, and clarified that Florida's homestead and federal ERISA pension exemptions would not shield assets from federal restitution obligations, especially once pension funds are distributed.