Justice has been served.
The Department of Justice was not "biased" for targeting deaf/foreign-owned companies like Viable as said by some commentators. DOJ has gone after large corporations such as Enron and Madoff's Ponzi Scheme.
Nine years in federal prison does not mean he will serve all nine years. All federal criminals have what is called "truth-in sentencing" where they must serve 85% of their sentence. John Yeh may be transported to a half-way home or house arrest at some point (see Martha Stewart).
Court records have shown that all of the calls from Viable were roughly 67% fraudulent and that John Yeh was directly responsible for pocketing 29+ million dollars. In his recent vlog provided by his brother, he admitted guilt based on being "misguided." I am not convinced. Mr. Yeh was a smart man who was able to start his own company and become very successful business-wise. I see nothing that shows how he would have been misguided. I think he knew very well what the risks were and gambled. He lost.
More importantly, the deaf community lost morale. A lot of the ex-employees lost money, and a lot of other VRS companies are hurt by this Viable fiasco.
Justice has been served, but in the long-run, we all lost.
Good analysis, so not much to add to that.
ReplyDeleteMr. Yeh claiming he was ''misguided'' -- well, he may have done much for his family, friends, and the community over the years... but he has apparently yet to take true acceptance of responsibility in public. Hopefully he eventually gets to that point.
But one thing I'm glad about is that this also represents a step in a process of closure for all concerned. Now he can focus on getting his affairs in order, doing his time, and then moving on -- as will the community and others.
I personally hold a Christmas Card from John Yeh, which arrived many years ago. In this card he said "How is you"? It blew my mind because he was a successful business man and yet he didn't know proper English. In the past his ventures were not dependent on heavy regulations such as FCC until he started Viable. I asked him if he's read the FCC regulations on VRS service providers and if he's understood it. The answer was no. He said he trusted his employees in this regard and I believe him.
ReplyDeleteHolism: In a July 2007 e-mail, Yeh gave an accomplice who co-owned a Viable call center in Arizona advice on how to conceal the scheme from federal regulators, according to court papers. "Your calls should look good -- not too perfect and too long hours. Important not raise 'red flag' for FCC to see it. Understand me?" he allegedly wrote.
ReplyDeleteDo you still think he didn't understand FCC regulations? Time to accept that sometimes friends can be greedy.
Yeh also paid friends to use his company to link to recordings of radio programs, even podcasts of someone reading a novel, prosecutors allege. Some calls were quick; others dragged on. Often, no one interpreted, authorities say.
I don't think you need to be fluent in English to know business ethics.
I agree with D. You don't have to be fluent in English to be a successful business person. This wasn't about going after deaf people; it was about fraud and greed. I don't believe a word of Yeh's so-called excuses of "trusting his employees". No one is above the law; NO ONE! I am glad that both Yeh's got prison time and are to each pay $20 million in restitution.
ReplyDeleteHolism said Yeh wrote "How is you"? That means that Gallaudet doesn't care if BOT members' English is lousy, but flunks and kicks out students who are poor in English. Very hypocritic!
ReplyDeleteNo matter if you are poor in English, money can buy everything to make you famous! Gallaudet cares money only.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Therefore John Yeh found Gallaudet where could make him famous.
ReplyDeleteHolism, you should have had kept the relationship between you and Yeh remain in confidential. He has admitted that he was a greedy businessman and knew what he was doing on Youtube yesterday. And yet, You continue to maintain his innocent due to his poor English? He knew what illegal activities look like within VRS industries.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Judge yesterday, he said that Yeh had been paying his "friends" million and million dollars in cash in order to make them untraceable. He is pretty much a professional criminal. Whatever happened at court yesterday is a historic moment for the Deaf Community, and FCC.
The Judge said he understood Yeh's accomplishments for the deaf community and he still wants to know what happened to "lost" money. The court from yesterday was all about this "lost" money, not John Yeh's reputation, his family, his friends, his history with deaf community, and etc. This is all about taxpayer's money which is being stolen, everyday.
Dear D
ReplyDeleteHow is you?
i agree - in the long-run we all lost. We always do whenever anyone chooses darkness over light.
My heart does go out to the Yehs. Prison aint not picnic. Their lawyers said the jail time could have been much longer and both the Yehs seemed grateful to the judge and the justice system. Will keep them in my thoughts.
re: Deaf grammar errors - if they are to be a defense for misconduct - i should be sitting pretty, eh?
peace,
patti
John Yeh posted a video yesterday, he said:
ReplyDelete*shocked to be considered greedy
*made small salary (where did the money go?)
*didnt know how to run business (he sold a 40 mil s/w company back in 1997
*didnt know because he trusted his employees (is he putting the blame on his trusted employees?)
*was never his intention (then exactly what was his intention?)
maybe while in jail he will *get* it
Still, my heart goes out to him, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes!
J
Whether Justice prevailed or not it is always sad to see people from our community to be convicted of crimes and receive sentences. There is nothing to be celebrate about but a very sad day for our community. I believe there are many Deaf people with poor English skills are successful people...Yehs happened to make mistakes but let us not discourage or stop others who have poor English skills to pursue their dreams.
ReplyDeletePenny
These three prominent deaf leaders (Frank Turk, Bob Davila and Al Sonnenstrahl) have became the laughingstock of the deaf community when they stood up and spoke highly of convicted fraudster John Yeh in the Court. They've lost their credibility and sanity. It's so pathetic and foolish for them to do that.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about Al Sonnenstrahl but I heard that Turk and Davila both have a bad history but it went undetected within the deaf community. Frank Turk is worst one.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, It seems like John Yeh didnt learn his lesson when his trusted KG friends who torpedoed his business. Yet, John Yeh managed to ask Frank Turk, Bob Davila and Al Sonnenstrahl to be part of this history as witnesses. Yes, it is definitely laughingstock moment.
Anonymous @2011 7:29 AM
ReplyDeleteNever heard of bad history about Turk & Davila. That's new to me! Can you explain what bad history? Impossible cos Davila had a clean record after security clearance required before Reagan accept Davila for Government Ed Dept. Later Davila became Gally president. Bad history after he ended president of Gally? Not clear to me. Also never heard any bad history about Frank Turk.
I cannot say any further about them. My sources told me that one of those guys did a terrible thing to this young guy. However, this guy didn't do anything about it. Apparently, they reached a settlement by themselves before he reports it to police. That's why their records are still clean. It is not hard to find out when you ask around to learn more about them.
ReplyDeleteNow look how the thread wanders.
ReplyDeleteThe entry is about the Yehs conduct, trial and outcome and a bit about our community
Someone mentions in comments that friends of the Yehs showed up to show their support. I assume this is support during this hard time this is not an endorsement of the Yehs actions as it pertains to the case - they were serving as character witnesses to get their friends leniency and also to be a source of support
the blog entry notes that the 1% when busted rarely experiences prison as the average jose and susie of the lower 99% do. and that is basically true. The justice system is set up in favor of the 1%.
Regardless i think it was just right and good for friends of the Yehs to testify of their overall character and also to attend the trial as a sign of support
Its the folks who bail out on u or who wait to see if you win or you dont that you really should wonder about. Not the ones who say - you have done wrong. I love you regardless. I am sad, disappointed and worried too.
Nothing wrong with that. Lots right with that.
Dragging in personal dirt on them which isnt even proven is not cool.
Just degrades the discource and the conversation.
so just take a look at how folks play this out - they were robin hoods - fleecing from the FCC and giving job ops to the underpriveleged Deaf, they are Deaf so it was too hard for them to follow all that complicated stuff and English HEY cant blaim them, they were railroaded while other larger companies got off, they were greedy selfish and its all old boys network and they should rot in jail for ever, they have totally ruined any credibility the Deaf community ever had etc etc
when really the TRUTHS of the whole case should be informative enuf for us to look at for REAL and see.
if ya cant - then just re-read the entry and THINK with ur head and with ur heart. but pls no more bringing in BS about other folks
especially under the cloak of anonymous - slander and libel and BS is not cool.
peace
patti
I have know Yeh since 1969 at Gally and I have respected and looked up to him for years. Kept track of him via Deaf life, etc. There are many deaf leaders with poor English but excellent ASL and do well. I even thought of following his steps but did not pursue that. Then heard about the news with VRS scam, I was shocked and confused. After hearing and reading all evidences and past employees and learned about the dark side of him. And I have to agree that he knew very what he was doing and knew better than that. I was disappointed him. All the vlog by him did not convince me enough that he was misguided. Sorry to say this but he caught and will have to pay for it. I hope others will learn something from this.
ReplyDeletePatti noted: "the blog entry notes that the 1% when busted rarely experiences prison as the average jose and susie of the lower 99% do. and that is basically true. The justice system is set up in favor of the 1%".
ReplyDeleteWell it seems it didn't work this time. If John got some $29 million of the alleged missing $57 million then he was himself within the 1% she speaks of.
P.S. Using the term 'average Jose' rather than the regular term 'average Joe' appears to be quite racist unless it was a typo.
Otherwise the comments in this blog entry and discussion are quite on the mark, inclusing those by Patti.
The truth is that I am a BAIT at large. It is no joke. I am telling you the truth back to 2003, I was hired as a crew for Macy’s in San Francisco Bay. My first year in 2003, I don’t know much about the rule. No interpreters in my first year and the hearing people didn’t help me adjusting my doing. Truly, there was no explaining surrouding me. My doing at work was not perfect on my first year as the people get new job. Hearing customer complained about my doing at the end of my first year. The people taled (tell) the human resources manager and guards in the department store. Next day, I went to my work at Macy’s, the guards quickly approached me and watched me. I didn’t do any wrong. I suspect myself that my gesture, behavior, and doing were pointed out where the hearing people found. About a month later, Human Resources manager ordered to change me the position. But it couldn’t help me the better, I barely know about their hearies’ sercet witness at the beginning of 2004 to about 2007. I noticed the hearing people’s cars flocked to my car in the evening when I was off to work. They followed me where I went. Arrived at my work, I recognized they are nosy on me. They still use cell phone or smartphone to tale where I go or what I do after Macy’s laid me off in January 2009.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, I was working for Viable as an installer for a year from middle of 2008 to the middle of 2009. Viable asked me to assemble the booth at Deafnation. I said okay and asked the volunteers to help assembling the booth to set up. Viable was willing to pay to the volunteers. It was nice. Next day (Saturday), Viable ordered me to demonstrate (show) to the Deafnation goers what VPAD was. I saw the white person who is hearing using cellphone near Viable booth. It was kind of bothersome in my mind that he used the cellphone. Now, I know it. That is why Viable BUSTED. I realized I should avoid the precious business of Deaf owners. It was a random the hearies are looking for after being me a BAIT. I guess they want a revenge on me for a silly reason because I worked for Macy’s. Macy’s is the federal department store, you know. That is what I am telling you the truth. Also, the public in my local bay area are angry with me because they got traffic tickets from the street police.
I counted 9 YEARS now from 2003 to 2011. The hearies and my neighbors still work and work on me. They wish to arrest me in their hunger. I haven't gotten a traffic ticket in 9 years. Their lengthing time waste.
How to solve? In time? The hearies will give up on me in time? I hope they will forget me.
to anonymous at 6:45 pm Dec 3
ReplyDeletere: my reference to 1% - well yes i meant that the Yehs are indeed of the 1% and yes indeed it seems they r getting some special treaement - in that they have shorter sentencing and they also are not at a hard core prison and might eventually have house arrest or something of that sort - it aint purely because they are Deaf. We all know that there are PLENTY of Deaf folks from impoverished backgrounds languishing in prison without access or leniency but they aint of the 1% so...
Re: Jose - i typed it on purpose because in FACT the prisons are populated largely with African-Americans and Latinos - not because they commit crimes more than whites (especially white collar crimes) but because they dont have the resources for expensive lawyers or equal employment opportunities etc
i do appreciate ur questioning both those items
peace
Patti
Penny, the Yehs -- wonderful people for the Deaf community (or not), they consciously *CHOSE* to commit a crime. That is NOT a mistake. They wanted to do it -- and they did. Now they have to accept the consequences. Not a mistake at all. It was a choice. Yes, it is a very sad day for the community, but wasn't a 'mistake'.
ReplyDeleteSo... now they have to live with their choices. I think the community will forgive them eventually, but they will have to confess to it first. That is always the hardest step to take first. But they must do it -- be a man, step forward, admit to it, swallow their pride, and accept it. Only then can they feel spiritually cleansed.
How do I know that? I already experienced it once, very painfully. Once is enough, believe me. Peace to all.
One quick comment about "average jose's". Please see this excellent link (http://www.amren.com/features/hispanics/index.html) that reflects what PDurr was referring to. Not only is there a significant increase of hispanics in prison (beating blacks), but also their educational/literacy level is staggering and it is said that nearly 50% are on welfare! This is another topic of discussion...
ReplyDeleteD
clercjr, u are sick.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: thank you for the compliment. You look lovely today, too. Anything else? No remarkable insight regarding D's excellent post? Hmm. I didn't think so. Oh well. :)
ReplyDelete@D: interesting link -- good reading. Thanks! I'd known about the demographic shift for a while now, but not some of the other aspects you cited. Sobering thoughts, indeed, as for its wider implications.