10 Years Ago Today I Was Sentenced to Prison

June 10th, 2014

I’m alone; I’m terrified; I want this to be over.

I can’t understand what she’s saying, I get that it’s all English, but the words are a blur and I can’t keep up with them.

The gavel comes down, echoing through the room. I don’t know what happened. I turn to my attorney and ask,

“Was I just sentenced to prison?”

He tilts his head to the side like a confused dog.

“You were sentenced to pay $834,037 in restitution and serve twenty-four months in federal prison.”

I nod. It’s all I can do.

The judge adds one last statement as the gallery begins to stand and the attorneys gather their papers,

“I guess we’ll find out who you really are when you get out.”

Ten years ago today, I was sentenced to federal prison for willingly defrauding a tech giant.

I thought my life was over.

What I couldn’t see then, that I see with 20/20 clarity today, is that, yes, my life was over.

But only that version, that chapter of my life, was over; really, my life was only just beginning.