Thread: Petrie: 'I've committed a crime'

http://www.gazetteextra.com/petrie072307.asp

Petrie: 'I've committed a crime'

(Published Monday, July 23, 2007 11:45:29 AM CST)

By Mike Heine
Gazette staff

ELKHORN-"Why have you chosen to plead?" Walworth County Judge Robert Kennedy this morning asked Allen L. Petrie, the 48-year-old owner of Star Packaging in Whitewater.

"Because I've committed a crime, sir," Petrie responded.

Petrie pleaded guilty this morning to five counts of conspiracy to commit identity theft. He was accused of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and keeping them employed despite being told by police that those employees had fake or stolen identities.

Petrie declined to comment after the hearing.

His attorney, Stephen Glynn, pointed to Petrie's wife when asked why he accepted the plea. It was a family decision, Glynn said. He said he would not comment more until after the Oct. 15 sentencing.


Allen Petrie

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both the prosecution and defense will argue for probation only and not recommend any prison. The state will recommend no more than six months in county jail.

Petrie had faced a maximum 36 years in prison and fines up to $60,000 if convicted of the six felonies he had been charged with. One count was dismissed and read in and the state agreed not to charge up to nine other counts it says it could have proved, according to the plea.
The case had hundreds of pages of investigative reports, used countless staff hours and caused a rift between police and the Latino community in Whitewater. An Aug. 8, 2006, raid at the company led to the arrest of Petrie and 25 suspected illegal immigrants by federal agents.

Was the conviction worth it?

"Absolutely," Assistant District Attorney Diane Donohoo said. "The goal here was for Mr. Petrie to acknowledge his criminal behavior. The goal here is deterrence. This is not a prison case, in my opinion."

To both Donohoo's and Glynn's knowledge, Petrie was the first Wisconsin business owner charged with a state identity theft crime for hiring people with false or stolen identities. Donohoo expected it to not be the last.

"The information of a Social Security number cannot be used to obtain something of value," Donohoo said. "That is a crime against the state. It doesn't matter if the people are here legally or not."

The defense has repeatedly accused lead investigator Larry Meyer, who has since retired after 33 years, of racial profiling. Meyer is the subject of a federal civil suit in which he is accused by another former Whitewater business owner of harassment that included continued investigation of a Latino workforce.

"You have to remember, what the defense was saying before today was one thing. What did he say today? 'I plead guilty because I committed these crimes,'" Donohoo said.

"He has finally accepted his responsibility. The blaming, the finger pointing, that's over with," she said. "Today, he's a convicted felon."

Sounds like Mr. Petrie, although guilty as sin, is small potatoes.

Maybe he didn't contribute to the campaigns when they came calling.

Sounds like Mr. Petrie, although guilty as sin, is small potatoes.

He should get the proper amount of jail time instead of a slap on the wrist. He knew what he was doing.

Originally Posted by florgal

Sounds like Mr. Petrie, although guilty as sin, is small potatoes.

He should get the proper amount of jail time instead of a slap on the wrist. He knew what he was doing.

I have no sympathy and agree completely - but I want to see the guys who run the big companies brought to heal.

That would be deterrent.

Putting Mr. Petrie in jail for 6 months is not nearly enough - for what he did or for the American people. It may be for that DA - but that's about all.

DA's are elected officials aren't they? I wonder if this is just a sham political prosecution designed to win brownie points at the next election?