“An Empty Promise”: Prosecutors Rip Truglia’s Credibility
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Capozzi accused Truglia of “lying, faking documents, and hiding assets,” despite swearing in 2022 that he would make things right.
“Years ago, the defendant promised to do his best to right his wrongs. That was an empty promise,” Capozzi said. “He has never intended to pay restitution.”
Joining the hearing via phone, victim Michael Terpin painted Truglia’s post-release behavior as a “smokescreen,” telling the court: “It has cost me millions of dollars.”
Defense Pushes Back: “This Is Unprecedented”
Truglia’s legal team insists that he no longer possesses the stolen funds and that repeated imprisonment over financial restitution creates a chilling precedent.
“As of today, Mr. Truglia has surrendered every valuable asset he has access to,” the defense argued in court filings. “Any concerns about restitution should be handled as violations of supervised release—not by resentencing.”
Still, Judge Hellerstein remained unmoved, noting Truglia’s “continued evasiveness” and repeated failures to comply with court orders.
“You said, ‘I can do 10 years,’” the judge remarked. “Well, you’ll get that chance. I sentence you to 12 years.”
