Federal Possession of Child Pornography Charge: 42 Months

Federal authorities charged a Rhode Island man with Possession of Child Pornography in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. An investigation by federal law enforcement led to the man’s identity and discovery of several terabytes of contraband in his possession. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices yielded 40,000 images and 800 images of child pornographic material. He retained Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers, John L. Calcagni III and John E. MacDonald, to defend him in this matter. Absent any applicable defenses and given the strength of the government’s evidence, Attorneys Calcagni and MacDonald negotiated a plea agreement for the man that called for his guilty plea to one count of possessing child pornography. This agreement enabled him to avoid both prosecution on more serious charges and any mandatory minimum jail time. The man’s applicable U.S. Sentencing Guidelines called for an advisory jail sentence of 78 to 97 months. At sentencing, the Attorneys successfully argued for a below-guidelines sentence of 42 months in prison, which reflected a 47% discount from the low end of the range.