Replies

(1) A person is to be sentenced based on the conviction. Whatever other crimes he may —or may not — have committed are not supposed to be considered.
(2) I acknowledge that I haven’t researched this case thoroughly but it does seem that the requested life sentence is excessive, especially when compared to Madoff’s sentence. Heck, even CONFESSED terrorists aren’t given such stringent sentences.
(3) However, I do disagree with the author’s last paragraph, in which he tries to offset the man’s crime with the “good deeds” he supposedly did. The end does not justify the means. If he gave away all the money, to the best charity in the world, that wouldn’t negate the crime. In fact, giving away “ill gotten gains” is often linked to stealing—as a way of appeasing the criminal’s conscience.
(a)Ordinary people own or receive benefits from banks and loans. Stealing from a bank, no matter how rich the owners are, is still stealing from PEOPLE.
(b)If he had married & murdered an heiress, then gave away all “her” money, he would still be a murderer.

I’d point out that much of my response is rooted in the difference between Christian and current Judaic “theology”. For a Christian, no amount of good deeds will ever “balance the scales of justice” in the court of G-d’s justice. “There is none righteous, not even one. . .All have turned aside, together they have become useless. There are none who does good, there is not even one.” (Ps 14:1-3;Ps 53:1-3).
That’s why the Messiah came: [G-d] made him [the messiah] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of G-d in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)