Chapter 12 - The Bankrupt Plea
In early February, Ryan's defense attorney reached out to Marcus Vance requesting an urgent, confidential plea negotiation meeting.
We met in a small conference room at the Denver County Courthouse prior to the preliminary hearing.
Ryan sat at the table in an orange inmate jumpsuit, his hands handcuffed to a waist chain, his hair unwashed and messy.
He looked at me with hollow, sunken eyes, tears welling up immediately as I took my seat across from him.
"Claire... please," Ryan sobbed, his voice trembling uncontrollably behind the glass divider.
"I'm so sorry... I was weak... I let my father control me my whole life..."
"Please don't send me to prison... I won't survive in there... think of our baby..."
I looked at the man I had loved, married, and trusted with my life for three long years.
"You didn't think of our baby when you held my wrists so your father could burn me, Ryan," I said softly.
"You didn't think of our baby when you stole her trust fund money to pay off your father's tax fraud."
"You thought of your father's approval... and now you can live with the consequences of that choice."
Ryan's attorney cleared his throat, pushing a document across the table toward Marcus.
"We are prepared to plead guilty to felony conspiracy and theft in exchange for a recommended five-year sentence," the attorney offered.
May you like
Marcus glanced at the document, then pushed it back across the table without a second thought.
"No plea deal," Marcus said firmly. "We are going to trial on all counts, including the corporate wire fraud charges."
