Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, was sentenced to five months in prison on Tuesday. Weisselberg was found guilty of tax fraud at former US President Donald Trump’s family business.
The 75-year-old former CEO testified against the Trump Organization in exchange for a lighter sentence. Weisselberg confessed to being guilty of fifteen felonies related to tax fraud. He would be involved in tax evasion for a total of 1.7 million dollars (1.58 million euros).
After sentencing, Weisselberg was handcuffed and taken into custody. With good behavior he can be released after three months. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered Weisselberg to pay $2 million (€1.86 million) in taxes and fines. He would have done it already.
Had Weisselberg not testified against the Trump Organization, his sentence could have been up to 15 years in prison. So far, he is the only person convicted in the Trump corporation investigation.
The state of New York sued Trump’s company in the fall of 2022 after years of investigations into the Trump Organization. The company owns, among other things, hotels, golf courses and other real estate. New York authorities had long suspected that not all of the company’s expenses were being reported correctly. In December, the Trump Organization was found guilty.
Trump himself was not on trial in this case. There is another ongoing investigation into the Trump Organization, led by State Attorney Letitia James. That investigation also covers financial fraud, but focuses more on the value of Trump’s properties.
