The stakes? A daunting five-year prison term, with an additional three years under the watchful eyes of supervision. Roesser received a clear caveat: if his sentence falls under 24 months, the doors to an appeal will be firmly shut.
Yet, in an act of leniency, or perhaps seeing the tragedy unfold, Judge Torres believed Roesser wouldn’t take flight. She granted him the freedom of bail, postponing his judgment day to January.
The Luxury Lifestyle at Stake
Prosecutors painted Roesser as a desperate man on the brink. Having filed for a personal Chapter 11 in February 2022, he described his financial state as needing “some breathing room”. But at what cost? Allegedly, Roesser’s mistruths were aimed at retaining his posh Bronxville home, nestled in New York’s plush suburbs, and his swanky Aston Martin, all while dodging a whopping $3.9 million federal tax bill.
Championing Roesser’s defense is Mark Cohen of Mark I. Cohen Esq. On the other side of the ring, representing the government’s interests, is Steven Kochevar from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
