Judge Opts for House Arrest for Elderly Tax Scammer

A federal judge on Long Island has indicated he would impose house arrest rather than jail time for a 75-year-old man convicted of tax fraud, citing concerns over the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Judge Gary Brown's decision comes after he sentenced Daniel Colucci to nine months in prison but expressed serious reservations about the facility's treatment of inmates, which he described as "inhumane." In a detailed 17-page ruling, Judge Brown highlighted the MDC's troubling environment, which includes prolonged lockdowns, violent assaults, and significant delays in medical care. His concerns were amplified by a recent incident where an inmate was killed during a fight at the facility, underscoring the dangerous conditions within the jail. Judge Brown's ruling aligns with previous decisions made by other judges, including Judge Jesse M. Furman, who also refused to send a convicted individual to the MDC due to reports of severe understaffing and appalling conditions. The judge's findings included references to two homicides, multiple stabbings, and serious assaults that have occurred at the facility, painting a grim picture of inmate safety. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, which prosecuted Colucci, has not commented on the judge's decision. This case raises broader questions about the treatment of inmates in federal facilities and the implications of overcrowding and understaffing in the prison system.