Millionaire runs down tourists, drives away, gets no jail time by paying off victims families

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The scion of a wealthy Chicago-area family pleaded guilty in a South Florida court Friday to killing two British businessmen with his Porsche but avoided prison after agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum to the widows.

Ryan LeVin, 36, will spend two years under house arrest in his parents' oceanside condominium.

www.chicagobreakingnews.com...

Or in other words he essentially payed money for the British tourist lives and all of this was legal in America (and probably could happen in many western countries?) Is this what justice is? Guilty until proven rich?

Thanks.

Sickening! It's obviously okay to kill people as long as you have money.
And what kind of punishment is 2 years house arrest??.. In what is probably a house that the rest of us can only dream about.

Stories like this really do my head in!

Originally posted by C0bzz

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The scion of a wealthy Chicago-area family pleaded guilty in a South Florida court Friday to killing two British businessmen with his Porsche but avoided prison after agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum to the widows.

Ryan LeVin, 36, will spend two years under house arrest in his parents' oceanside condominium.

www.chicagobreakingnews.com...

Or in other words he essentially payed money for the British tourist lives and all of this was legal in America (and probably could happen in many western countries?) Is this what justice is? Guilty until proven rich?

Thanks.

edit on 4/6/11 by C0bzz because: (no reason given)

edit on 4/6/11 by C0bzz because: (no reason given)

Usually I read the article and find that the poster has misconstrued what it really said, or had overexagerated something or another.......but not in this case. The more I read of the article, the worse it got!!!!

Did you catch the line:
"At the time of the crash, LeVin was on probation in Illinois for a 2006 case in which he had driven into a Chicago police officer and instigated a chase on the Kennedy Expressway. Court records show LeVin has more than 50 traffic violations and a long history of drug abuse."

SAY WHAT?!?!? Dear God....This guy just bought his way out of prison! Don't get me wrong...I'm glad the surviving families have some money....but in my opinion they should be able to get both that AND justice....A couple of years house arrest for what he did is nothing but a slap on the wrist....this is just sad.

once again...money opens doors... even prisondoors...

Man that's just wrong, everyone is equal`-, it's just the beautiful rich folks are more equal than others... Money is not life.

And the widows! What kind of cash grabbing monsters are they? Probably happily got their asses charmed off them through the entire ordeal, shed a few crocodile tears of course and back in time for cocktails by the pool rolling in tanned shallow men hanging off their every word - all it took was the death of their husbands, landed on their feet there then! Don't know how they could live with them selves.

Absolutely insane, if only he had some cannabis in his possession, he would have been given consecutive life sentences.

Reply to post by Now_Then

Now imagine if this was someone living on or around the poverty line, they'd probably be looking at consecutive life sentences considering the drugs, previous offences, etc.

Surely a middle-ground can be reached that applies to all rather than financial status? Yeah, like that is ever going to happen.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

This is obviously a travesty of justice, and he shouldn't be allowed to get off with the crime this easily. But what about the part the two widows played in this ? They were only too happy to accept a fat pay-cheque rather than fighting for justice to be served.

If he causes another death or serious injury through his recklessness, then the widows of his victims will also have blood on their hands.

It's always about money not justice. The more money you have the more you can get away with.

Look at our government and the sleazy politicians. They get away with all kinds of crimes.

It's who you know and how fat your bank account is.

reply to post by C0bzz


wow, that is so many ways of wrong!

i thought it was in afganistan.


this ain't over, this guy is a walking dead man.

So what happens next? What can anyone actually do in this situation? How do we get that jerk off the streets and back into the courtroom?

Yes, this is just wrong and is not Justice, but it was the widows that accepted this.

In order for this sentencing to occur, the widows had to agree with it. If they had disagreed, then he would have received a stronger sentence. Most likely it would not have been an appropriate sentence, but it would have been more severe.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Agreed, they have a lot to answer for in the whole situation!
Judging by this guys previous record this will not be the last time that he is going to be caught up in controversy.
At least if he was locked up, it would mean him being off the streets for a period of time.
I'm not sure about the laws that side of the water but is house arrest strictly enforced?

Originally posted by cahlmac
I'm not sure about the laws that side of the water but is house arrest strictly enforced?

Yes and No.
In this case, probably 'No.'
He will have an ankle monitor.

It probably differs from State to State, and possibly even from County to County. I remember when I was in high school, and a friend was on house arrest, he could actually go around 100-150 feet outside of his house. The neighbors house was close, and he could go hang out there if he wanted. I believe they have made it a little more strict since then though.

Aside from that though, there are numerous exceptions. I had 6 months of house arrest several years ago, for D.U.I. (well, more than 1). I had also lost my Driver's License. I rode a bike to work, and to my required group therapy and AA meetings. I needed extra time. I would get at least 3 hours for a 1 hour AA meeting. Just so happened that the meetings I went to were downtown, where all the shops are. I always had spare time.




ETA: It said he will serve his house arrest in his parents' oceanside condominium. Hard telling how big that condo actually is.

Not entirely positive on this one, but once on House Arrest he will probably only have 1 House Arrest 'Field' Officer (The guy who randomly pops up at your door at any given time, and any given day). Most likely a person who has many people/houses to check on, and probably does not recieve an enormous weekly paycheck. But I am sure he would never take a bribe and forewarn this millionaire of his schedule.
[/Sarcasm]

reply to post by BrokenCircles


The whole story is just unreal. As someone did say before, if it was anybody else then they would have been looking at jail time but with money thrown in the whole thing goes the opposite direction..

And you are most likely right, the house arrest will probably not be enforced as strictly as it it should be.
I guess the legal systems all around the world are all as bad as each other.

He should be serving real hard time due to the criminal offense. The widows still could have pulled millions out of him in a follow up civil suit. Think OJ. Found innocent in the criminal trial, but found responsible for their deaths in a civil trial (where the burden of proof is much lower).

It is sickening. Just think what a billionaire can do? I guess he can blow away a whole town on a rampage, write a check and be home by dinner.

He got 2 years house arrest in a condo...but in Chicago he is wanted on a 2006 parole violation.....when that is worked out he will do jail time in Chicago.....unless his parents, him and/or people in high places pay off the Chicago people.

This guy has 50 violations on his record....he did not apologize or show any remorse for killing those 2 men in Florida...I just wonder is he a rich sociopath?

Just another example of the elite (millionaire club) doing what ever they want and not suffering any consequences. If an average Joe did this, he'd be in prison!

basicly justice was invented by the upper class to control the working class ... not to protect them!

Unbelievable!

And to think that I had learned my lesson with the O.J. trial! This guy didn't even need a dream team of lawyers. The corruption of our legal system is made obvious with this one. Just another lesson learned.