Prayers for a friend and his family
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 5:02 pm
My first friend in Texas was arrested last October by the FBI on federal charges. He appeared before the judge for sentencing this morning. He got 85 months plus 5 years probation, about $6100 in fines, and will have to pay restitution. The restitution issue was bifurcated into a separate hearing, but it could be as high as $42,000......the amount remains to be negotiated. He has a wife and three children. They've lost their home, his business, their savings (there's no money to pay the restitution), half of his relatives have dropped him like a hot potato, and most of their friends have too. They are treating him like a leper. He was remanded into custody in February, and will be given credit for time served. He also has been given the chance to participate in several addiction recovery programs while incarcerated, and it is possible that he'll be paroled in 4.5 years (if I remember correctly) into a halfway house for 6 months, before he can reenter society and begin his probation. He'll have to register as a sex offender. Whether or not he'll be able to live with his wife and sons again will depend on his probation officer's permission. He's no threat to them, and while he was under house arrest prior to being remanded into custody, his probation officer allowed him to live with his family, so we are optimistic on that front.
This is devastating news, as we had hoped for more mercy than that from the court. Apparently, this judge has a reputation for being very hard-nosed. The good news is that this sentence is midway between the lower and upper guidelines for his charges, and his attorney told us this is the first time she's ever see this judge give someone less than the maximum allowable sentence, so she thinks that even the judge questioned whether or not his usual practice was appropriate in this case.
My friend first confessed his crimes to me shortly after his arrest. I'm the first person outside of his immediate family that he told. Out of respect for his confidentiality, I will not give additional details or his name. He decided right away that he's almost glad that he got caught because he was in slavery to an addiction he could not stop, and he decided he would not contest anything and accept whatever the court does to him. It was his idea to ask the court to help him with his addiction by giving him access to addiction recovery programs while incarcerated. He has been using the intervening time wisely, growing very close to Christ, spending his time in the Word, taking part in prison Bible studies, and even evangelizing to some of the prisoners he comes in contact with.
My wife, son, and I have pledged to be there to help his wife whenever she needs it, and our Life Group is on board with that, so she'll never have to worry about getting the washing machine fixed or the car maintained, stuff like that. She has a good job as a medical assistant and her boss has been VERY supportive. Myself and the men in our Life Group are going to be stepping up to be older male figures in their sons' lives until he gets out. My friend and his wife attended our church, and she still does, and she is surrounded by people who are loving on her. Even so, it has been very tough on her and the kids. The elder of his three sons is beginning to have behavioral trouble at school - which he never did before - etc., etc.
It's all just too much....or at least it seems so right now. I would ask all of you to pray for this precious family that is being really tested. She is sticking by him, and has forgiven him. We know that our Lord has forgiven him. We also know that justice must be served, and we would not ask for it to NOT be served. But this family desperately needs the prayers of the saints, so yours would be very much appreciated.
This is devastating news, as we had hoped for more mercy than that from the court. Apparently, this judge has a reputation for being very hard-nosed. The good news is that this sentence is midway between the lower and upper guidelines for his charges, and his attorney told us this is the first time she's ever see this judge give someone less than the maximum allowable sentence, so she thinks that even the judge questioned whether or not his usual practice was appropriate in this case.
My friend first confessed his crimes to me shortly after his arrest. I'm the first person outside of his immediate family that he told. Out of respect for his confidentiality, I will not give additional details or his name. He decided right away that he's almost glad that he got caught because he was in slavery to an addiction he could not stop, and he decided he would not contest anything and accept whatever the court does to him. It was his idea to ask the court to help him with his addiction by giving him access to addiction recovery programs while incarcerated. He has been using the intervening time wisely, growing very close to Christ, spending his time in the Word, taking part in prison Bible studies, and even evangelizing to some of the prisoners he comes in contact with.
My wife, son, and I have pledged to be there to help his wife whenever she needs it, and our Life Group is on board with that, so she'll never have to worry about getting the washing machine fixed or the car maintained, stuff like that. She has a good job as a medical assistant and her boss has been VERY supportive. Myself and the men in our Life Group are going to be stepping up to be older male figures in their sons' lives until he gets out. My friend and his wife attended our church, and she still does, and she is surrounded by people who are loving on her. Even so, it has been very tough on her and the kids. The elder of his three sons is beginning to have behavioral trouble at school - which he never did before - etc., etc.
It's all just too much....or at least it seems so right now. I would ask all of you to pray for this precious family that is being really tested. She is sticking by him, and has forgiven him. We know that our Lord has forgiven him. We also know that justice must be served, and we would not ask for it to NOT be served. But this family desperately needs the prayers of the saints, so yours would be very much appreciated.