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Brian Dunning lawsuit

I also see where the poster above got the $35 million figure. From Business Insider:

eBay paid Hogan a staggering $28 million in affiliate marketing sales commissions over the years, according to court papers...

The sting also netted Brian Dunning, eBay's second biggest affiliate marketer. The company had paid Hogan and Dunning a combined $35 million in commissions over the years, court papers say.
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So presumably, Hogan was paid $28 million and Dunning $7 million. If I had to guess, I'd say the $200-400K stipulation was due to either the terms of the plea bargain, the inability to prove how much of that $7 million was fraudulent as opposed to legitimately earned, or a combination of both factors.
 
Follow up...

Pretty light sentence for what he did. Judge diverged downward from the PSIR significantly. With good time credit, he'll be out in a little over a year, but he's still a felon. In another filing it the court, the three years of supervised release/probation has all of the standard restrictions on his freedom. Also, the PSIR and the judges reason for the sentencing are sealed, so we can't see them.
 
Loren said:
I also see where the poster above got the $35 million figure. From Business Insider:



So presumably, Hogan was paid $28 million and Dunning $7 million. If I had to guess, I'd say the $200-400K stipulation was due to either the terms of the plea bargain, the inability to prove how much of that $7 million was fraudulent as opposed to legitimately earned, or a combination of both factors.
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Thanks for explaining that. I hadn't read the Business Insider article. Now I understand the numbers better.
 
hardindr said:
Pretty light sentence for what he did. Judge diverged downward from the PSIR significantly. With good time credit, he'll be out in a little over a year, but he's still a felon. In another filing it the court, the three years of supervised release/probation has all of the standard restrictions on his freedom. Also, the PSIR and the judges reason for the sentencing are sealed, so we can't see them.
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Very light, considering the money stolen.

I'd do 5 months in prison for $28 million. I'd even do 15 months for $5 million.
 
Some thoughts...

I am sure that whoever is involved with the Skeptoid Media 501(c)3 (like board chairman Jeff Wagg) will keep pumping out content while Dunning is away in jail. I am sure that they have already recorded and produced tons of podcasts, and who knows what else media, they might need to put up in the meantime. I'm sure the plan is to make it appear that nothing has gone wrong. Hell, Dunning might even "tweet" while he is away. I think it's all delusional, but they probably want the micro-transactions to keep coming.

Doesn't anyone else find it a little bit suspicious that Dunning started to do all this skeptical activism (and seeking to get paid for it) right around the time he stopped stealing from eBay and his legal troubles began? Isn't that a little bit suspicious or a red flag? How come he never was upfront about any of this stuff? How come he set up Skeptoid as a non-profit later when it might have been apparent he was going to lose a lot of his financial assets? I think all that says a lot about where Dunning's real heart is.

It's really disturbing to see people defend Dunning, as if not liking eBay is an excuse for what he did, or for him to not get punished. There is no way he didn't know what he was doing wasn't illegal or wrong. I guess some people have different standards for those in tribes different from their own (skeptics vs. believers). I guess friendship trumps ethics for some.

All in all, Dunning gets off pretty easy on this. He gets a significant downward departure from the sentence recommended in the PSIR, and gets to do his time at "Club Fed," which is near his family. Not many in the prison system get such luxuries. Sure, his financial situation must be a shambles, but I'm sure his friends will step up and help him out, right? His family still gets to live in a big house, right? He'll still have all those micro-transactions from Skeptoid to help him out, right? I'm sure his friends will help him get a good job, despite his being a felon, when he gets out, right?

It's hilarious to read people on the Internet get all huffy about civil liberties, when a friend is involved with law enforcement. Dunning knew what he was doing was wrong and illegal, and he did it anyway. He also thought he was smart enough to talk his way out of this with the FBI, which shows just how arrogant and dumb he is. I don't have any schadenfreude for him going to jail, and I think those who are gloating about this on the Internet are cruel and obnoxious. However, sometimes justice is served and criminals get their just desserts. I think this is one of those times.
 
hardindr said:
Pretty light sentence for what he did. Judge diverged downward from the PSIR significantly. With good time credit, he'll be out in a little over a year, but he's still a felon. In another filing it the court, the three years of supervised release/probation has all of the standard restrictions on his freedom. Also, the PSIR and the judges reason for the sentencing are sealed, so we can't see them.
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I wonder if he'll be allowed to make more "rap" videos? :boxedin:
 
Letters...

I recently saw this posted on Facebook by a friend of Brian Dunning. I have removed the identifying information of the poster for his privacy, and all other non-pertinent comments were removed. I have included it to show that Dunning is claiming that many other "famous skeptics" were willing to vouch for him. More than ever, I want to see who wrote on his behalf and what they said...
 

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Dr. Keith said:
Would you do 15 months for $5million if you also had to pay restitution?
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Depends on how much. If I walked away with half that, it's enough to never have to worry about money, and on the edge of not having to work again.
 
hardindr said:
I recently saw this posted on Facebook by a friend of Brian Dunning. I have removed the identifying information of the poster for his privacy, and all other non-pertinent comments were removed. I have included it to show that Dunning is claiming that many other "famous skeptics" were willing to vouch for him. More than ever, I want to see who wrote on his behalf and what they said...
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Well, that's depressing.

Jim Jones, eat your heart out.

Skepticism goes 180 with no trace of irony - we defend the con artists "because they're one of us."
 
arthwollipot said:
Here's the statement I've been waiting for.

http://www.briandunning.com/message.html
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He owns it, without owning it.

The rubes will continue to send money.

Short version:

"I don't want to use 'everyone else was doing it as an excuse'....but everyone else was doing it".

No, Brian. If "everyone else was doing it", "everyone else" would be going to prison too.
 
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We can mail him stuff while he's in prison, right?

I have this affiliate marketing idea I'd like to run past him.
 
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