United States v. Fiorentino

149 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 WL 899311
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 2, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 14-20025-CR-MARTINEZ, CASE NO. 14-20854-CR-MARTINEZ
StatusPublished

This text of 149 F. Supp. 3d 1352 (United States v. Fiorentino) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Fiorentino, 149 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 WL 899311 (S.D. Fla. 2016).

Opinion

FINAL ORDER OF RESTITUTION ATTRIBUTABLE TO BOTH DEFENDANTS

JOSE E. MARTINEZ, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This matter is before the Court regarding final restitution issues to be determined as to defendants Carl Fiorentino, in Case No. 14-20025 and Gilbert Fiorentino, Case No. 14-200854. The Court referred-certain restitution matters in these cases to United States Magistrate Judge Chris McAliley. Judge McAliley issued a Report and Recommendation as to both cases on January 13, 2016. Thereafter, the Court held a restitution hearing on March 1, 2016. At that hearing, the government submitted a Restitution Calculation Chart, that summarized various categories of restitution and that was the subject of the hearing.

Having fully considered the record in this case and the arguments of the parties, in Case No. 14-20025 and Case No. -14-200854, it is hereby ORDERED as follows:

1; The Report and Recommendation of Judge McAliley dated January 13, 2016 is adopted in its entirety.

2. Carl Fiorentino shall individually pay restitution to Systemax, Inc., in the amount of $2,160,249.91.

3. Carl Fiorentino and Gilbert Fiorenti-no shall jointly and severally pay restitution to Systemax, Inc., in the amount of: $35,867,883.

DONE and ORDERED at Chambers in Miami, Florida this 1 day of March, 2016.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING RESTITUTION

CHRIS McALILEY, UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Defendants in these two eases, brothers Carl and Gilbert Fiorentino, engaged in fraud during the course of their employment with Systemax, Inc,, a publically traded company. Both Defendants held executive management positions, and used their positions to solicit cash, merchandise and servicés, from Systemax vendors and others, and to misappropriate Systemax property, without disclosing this to Syste-max. Both pled guilty to fraud charges, in two separate cases assigned to the Honorable Jose E. Martinez, and earlier this year Judge Martinez sentenced both Defendants to terms of incarceration.

. At, sentencing, the government, on behalf of Systemax, asked the Court to order both Defendants to pay various categories of restitution to Systemax. Judge Martinez addressed that issue in April 2015.1 During that restitution hearing, the government sought five categories of restitution on behalf of Systemax: (1) overcharges or kickbacks; (2) product theft; (3) attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Systémax; (4) return of' a portion of the compensation Systemax paid Defendants; [1355]*1355and (5) prejudgment interest. [DE-95, p. 6].-

At the conclusion of that hearing, Judge Martinez referred to me the issues of whether to order restitution to Systemax (and if so, how much) for; (1) attorneys’ fees and costs. Systemax incurred as .a result of Defendants’ criminal conduct, and (2) a- portion of the compensation, Syste-max paid Defendants during the course of their criminal conduct. Judge- Martinez also referred to me the question of the proper calculation of prejudgment interest. Later, Judge Martinez clarified that his referral included the question whether the Court should reduce the amounts of restitution by. any amounts either Defendant had previously paid Systemax. [DE 92, 118].2

In 'May, I met with the parties and counsel for -Systemax3 and directed that they: (1) exchange the information they rely upon for their respective positions, (2) meet and confer in an effort to narrow their disputes, and (3) file legal memoran-da in support of their positions. [DE 101, Order Regarding Referred Restitution Issues]. Thereafter, the parties and Syste-max reached' agreement on two of the issues referred to me: (1) the amount of Systemax’s attorneys’ fees and costs Defendants should pay as restitution' and (2) the ■ manner- -in which .the Court should calculate prejudgment interest on the ultimate award of restitution. [DE 53, 14-20854, Notice of Status of - Restitution Hearing].4, The parties and Systemax filed legal memoranda that address the two remaining issues in dispute referred to me: (1) whether Defendants should pay Systemax, as restitution, - a portion of the compensation Systemax paid Defendants during their employment, and (2) whether the Court .should reduce the restitution Gilbert owes by the $11,000,000 Gilbert •paid Systemax pursuant to a settlement agreement.5 [DE 102, 103, 106, 107, 111; 14-20854 DE 54, 59, 60, 61, 65, 66].

I. Evidentiary hearing

On September 30, 2015,1.held a restitution hearing at which I heard evidence and argument about the two disputed issues,6 [1356]*1356Only one witness testified at the hearing: Thomas Axmacher, Systemax’s Vice-President . and Corporate Comptroller. [DE 123-1, p. 16]. Mr. Axmacher provided information about various categories of compensation Systemax paid Gilbert and Carl between 2003 and April 2011, -the years when they engaged in criminal conduct.7 The government introduced into evidence two spreadsheets, one for each Defendant, prepared by Systemax’s payroll- department that set -forth those categories of compensation and amounts, and Mr. Ax-macher’s testimony tracked those spreadsheets. [Id. at p. 17-8]. I have attached the spreadsheets to this Report and Recommendation for ease of reference..

Mr. Axmacher explained that each category of compensation identifies amounts paid each Defendant in the stated year, although the Defendants may have accrued the right to receive those payments in an earlier year. [Id. at pp. 35-6],

Looking first at the compensation paid Gilbert, Mr. Axmacher testified that the total for the years 2003 through April 2011 was $27,431,000.00. [Id. át p. 18]. The first, category of compensation on the chart, identified as “regular”, refers to Gilbert’s base pay. [Id. at p. 19]. The next category, “retro,” was a retroactive payment in 2008 (in the amount of $1,696.16), for a salary increase due at the start of the year. [Id. at p. 19-20].

The next two categories, “benefit reimbursement” and “group term life”, concern health care and group life insurance premiums Systemax paid on Gilbert’s behalf. [Id. at p. 20], Mr. Axmacher thought the category labeled “fringe” identified Gilbert’s auto expenses that Systemax reimbursed. [Id. at p. 20].

The category labeled “bonus” lists payments made between 2006 and 2011. No amounts are shown in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005, and Mr. Axmacher thought, but could not confirm, that the bonuses Syste-max paid Gilbert in those years were accounted for in Gilbert’s “regular” compensation. [Id. at p. 21], For the years 2006 through 2011, however, the category of “bonus” includes incentive compensation payments, as well as some payments made as dividend reimbursements on Gilbert’s restricted" stock. [Id. at p. 21]. Mr. Ax-macher explained that Gilbert had stock agreements with Systemax that entitled him to receive a stated number of shares over a period of years. When Systemax issued dividends on shares Gilbert had yet to receive, it would nevertheless pay Gilbert the dividends earned on those embargoed shares. [Id. at pp. 30-1].

As for “other 1099 compensation,” Sys-temax- could not determine what that referenced. [Id. at p. 21].

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Bluebook (online)
149 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 WL 899311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fiorentino-flsd-2016.