Rights lawyer who sued Bush convicted for fraud

Los Angeles: A civil rights lawyer known for his high-profile cases against police and President George W Bush was sentenced to three years in prison for federal tax evasion, bankruptcy fraud and money laundering.
Stephen Yagman, 63, was convicted of trying to avoid paying more than $100,000 (Rs 39.8 lakh) in federal income taxes while living what prosecutors said was a lavish lifestyle that included shopping sprees and vacations in Aspen, Colorado.

Yagman told US District Judge Stephen Wilson that he was “a target” for prosecutors because of his legal campaigns against police.

In a statement spanning two days at the end of his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Yagman argued that his problems stemmed from careless inattention.

“I am kind of a savant, focused on civil rights,” Yagman said Monday. “I got sloppy.’’ Wilson said he had known Yagman professionally for 20 years and called him brave for taking on the establishment — but he also said Yagman committed his crimes knowingly.

He sued President George W Bush and other officials, alleging violations of constitutional rights of a detainee at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Source: mumbaimirror.com