Chapter 17 - Mark and Victoria Face Federal Indictment
While Sarah held her newborn daughter in the quiet safety of the upper suite, a federal courtroom downtown was packed to capacity.
Mark and Victoria Vance sat at the defense table in orange jumpsuits, surrounded by federal prosecutors and court-appointed public defenders.
Judge Harrison read the formal thirty-count indictment charging them with wire fraud, embezzlement, and securities manipulation.
“How do the defendants plead to all charges?” the judge asked sternly, his voice echoing through the solemn courtroom.
Neither Mark nor Victoria dared to speak, their former power and arrogance completely stripped away by the scales of justice.
Their defense attorneys entered formal pleas of not guilty while requesting a deferred bail hearing due to flight risk concerns.
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Judge Harrison denied bail immediately, citing their offshore accounts and extensive international connections as extreme flight risks.
They were remanded back to federal holding facilities to await a lengthy, high-profile criminal trial that would span years.
