Maybe the judge was afraid he planned to clone her. I'm a Democrat, and one Hillary and two Clintons have been enough for my lifetime, and those of my kids.
6
If that was enough to put him in jail, then Trump should have a life sentence for what he said on the campaign trail.
8
Mr. Shkreli is going to start jail time after sentencing anyways. Let him start earning time now.
5
$5,000 seems quite low.
1
This is the best thing I've read all day. "Lock (him) up!"
7
LOL, a momentary lapse in judgment? Marty has been suffering a permanent lapse in judgment.
2
"The nail that sticks up gets pounded down."
3
Shkreli has an unhealthy obsession with Mrs Clinton. I would remind everyone that he stalked her outside Chelsea Clinton's home on September 11 after she fell ill, and recorded it on Periscope. If I were Mrs. Clinton I would take out an order of protection against him.
5
A thought: Where was the Secret Service when Donald Trump on two occasions made threats against Clinton during the campaign? First, egging on the "Second Amendment people" to protect their rights by going after Clinton; and second, by taking away her security detail's guns to see what would happen.
JD
7
This news made my day. I'm delighted. Nobody in our country has the right to take action threatening the life of a former Senator and First Lady. He is getting what he deserved. I would like to see Shkreli prosecuted for this act, and get real jail time.
3
Shkreli still thought it was cute to threaten a woman, a powerful one, at that. He still thought it made him look like a "cool dude" when he made these remarks. The judge was very smart to teach him a lesson.
Picking on honorable people, male or female, is disgusting. John Kerry took a lot of this when he lost. So did Al Gore. So did Jimmy Carter. This is why the Republicans aren't getting a lot of Democrats to move to their party. They act like a bunch of frat boys.
8
I'll admit that seeing this convicted felon brought down and sent to jail for (once more) shooting off his mouth gives me some much needed Schadenfreude. He perhaps exemplifies the worst kind of greed, arrogance, and corruption our "Shareholder Value Capitalism" so often promotes and encourages. As such people usually enjoy the privilege of exemption from criminal liability, the fact that one of them has been convicted and awaits sentencing for a felony offers hope in a time of despair. I have no more sympathy for Shkreli than he had for the patients who depend on his exorbitantly-priced prescription drugs. I hope he gets everything he deserves while incarcerated.
The only thing that truly surprises me is that he has social media followers. Our society seems to be even sicker than I thought.
9
A person who shop lifts a shirt has to stay in jail for months because they have no bail money. A person who threatens a person with bodily harm gets out because bail is just gum money to them. How is that justice?
Keep this troll in jail. Let this serve as an example to the other crazies that this behavior isn't acceptable or legal.
17
Apparently, Marty, has never been taught how to behave in our society. Soon his cellmates will be providing him with their DNA. Have fun Marty ...
8
24 Hours later and I'll bet he'll pay that sum and many time more to get his hair out of jail. Right about now he's thinking about his upcoming sentence and reality is probably not too comfortable. It always sounds funny when you're not in the hot seat my boy.
5
Except the bizarre Shkrely's offering money for a strand of Mrs. Clinton hair, Is it so much different this former CEOs pharma greed from the current pharma industry greed?
2
"But his behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing."
Martin, meet reality.
10
But at a rally last year, Trump offered to pay legal fees for any supporters who were arrested if they roughed up protestors, and he walks free?
12
Comedy is all about timing. To make a "joke" about assault while awaiting sentencing for a fraud conviction shows that Mr. Shkrelli needs to work on his timing a bit.
10
Clinton should see it as an easy way to make $5000 for each hair she submits, and then donate that to efforts to reign in pharma.
1
Barbara Frietchie, J. G. Whittier's historic poem:
“Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!” He said.
4
I'm rather agitated at the various comments decrying Shkreli's incarceration as excessive. The leniency that we as a nation provide to white men committing white collar crimes is appalling. I applaud Judge Matsumoto.
33
Finally, a bit of Karma Yo for the Pharma Bro.
14
Reading these comments it tells me the amount of liberal bias of the NYT readers.
I do agree that Martin Shkreli needs to face the ramifications of his actions, however, doesn't this jailing fall into a 'double standard'?
If he ends up in jail for offering a bounty for Hillary's hair, then where should Kathy Griffin and congresswoman Maria Chapelle-Nadel be? It seems to me they had they pretty little hands slapped for something much worst than what Shkreli did. They both threatened the POTUS and walked away! Regardless if you agree with him, he is still our president. Throw them all in jail until people learn to respect each other.
5
He was not charged with intent to encourage assault. His bail was revoked. Revocation of bail can have a very low threshold of tolerance.
Threats to the President are probably examined by the Secret Service and by the President himself, DT may have a very high tolerance for those remarks.
4
Are they all out on bail after a felony conviction? It tells more about your own bias that you have to go to such great pains for such a poor analogy!
5
I think you just don't get it. Kathy Griffin and Maria Chappell-Nadel are not CONVICTED FELONS. Convicted felons are not entitled to all the freedoms and rights permitted to the rest of us. Shkreli has already been convicted of felonies and is awaiting sentencing.
6
There is definitely some pathology involved in having an irrational compulsive need to remind the general public every so often that you are a total creep. Perhaps some day a medication will be developed to treat this condition. A really expensive one.
14
He'll get out, run for President and probably win.
Unless it turns out to be Kid Rock.
8
A HAIR? for cloning? or is it a voodoo ritual of some kind?
4
Not only should he have medication, but from his Company at $500,000 a month.
And may he understand that grabbing hair in prison means more than his offensive rant, and no one will care.
7
I still can't understand how Shkreli was passed over for a seat in tRump's cabinet. Secretary for Health an Human Services or DEA seem like a natural fit.
16
He made the mistake of contributing to Hillary. Had Hillary been elected, perhaps he could have gotten an Ambassadorship. She could send him to Libya.
2
He never should have been out on bail in the first place. Shkreli is the poster-child for why we need tougher controls on the abuses originating from Wall Street.
BTW, send him to Rikers instead of 'club fed' .
21
A quick question: by violating his parole and having his bond revoked, does Mr. Shkreli lose the $5,000,000, or is it returned to him?
2
If he posted a cash bond, it would be returned. If he contracted to a bondsman, the bondsman would get his money back and Shkreli would forfeit his payment.
Shkreli pushes envelopes. It's what he does to prove that he is smarter than everyone. Every comment he has made, or refused to make. Every smirk or middle finger thrown "in jest" is his way of showing he can co-opt "the system" and every person within his purview.
This was intentional, not humorous, and was definitely a threat. With nut jobs trolling the internet and with the Pharma Bro having devoted followers, there was ample justification for disconnecting him from his computer and putting him where he can experience a slice of real life.
Who knows, he meets someone in lockup whose family member needs the life-saving drug he overcharges for and they can have a mutually beneficial discussion.
16
This was beyond paying others to physically assault, which is egregious enough: in putting a bounty on a hair with a follicle, Skrelli was pursuing Clintons personal DNA, which could have been used against her in numerous ways--including the fabrication of lethal DNA-based biological weapons that would uniquely target her.
9
The history of my comments on NYT clearly show that I'm a progressive. When this creature first appeared in the news I was appalled how callous our society has become in the pursuit of money. Yet, I cannot agree with the spite and glee expressed in this comment section by many. This person needs to be in a mental institution or a zen monastery - not a prison. He should be disconnected from media, internet and Wall Street - but not locked up.
I think this country jails people far too easily. Most often that applies to minorities for minor crimes, like shoplifting. But one cannot decry that injustice and applaud here.
Anyhow, he will serve some time for his real crime, so this is just starting earlier.
1
I'm amazed at all the people who think it is unfair to jail someone convicted of a crime ahead of his sentencing. Unless there is a high probability that the sentence will be less than the time until the hearing, lock him up. Why do we work so hard to protect rights people don't actually have?
16
I believe that sometimes when someone is behaving strangely, and might be going to jail, he should undergo a mental evaluation just to make sure there is or is not a good reason. ie he could be very troubled and because he has so much money nobody will say anything until it is too late
1
And he doesn't get to take his phone to jail with him so we all get some respite.
9
What I wanna know is, is he housed in a "Club Fed" as he boasted?
3
There's no such thing as "Club Fed." It's an urban myth. It's a prison. It may be a little less harsh than a state pen, but it's no vacation. It's a prison.
He's not the brightest bulb on the porch, is he?
5
Really? And Trump can say there are "2nd amendment solutions ' to Hilary clinton with absolutely NO consequences???
6
This guy deserves what coming to him and more. He'll have plenty of time to reflect in jail if he's capable of it at all.
6
The real question is, "Why in Godn's name did Mr. Shkreli want one of Mrs. Clinton's hairs?" Was he planning to have its DNA analyzed (seems likely, given that he specified that the hair had to include a follicle.
What was he hoping to find? Something off about her ancestry? Might she be descended from "untermenschen" like Jews or African-Americans? The question says more about Mr. Shkreli than about Mrs. Clinton.
6
Does it really make sense to lock him up? Obviously it was poor judgement in his part with that post but does he pose a real threat for our society? Why not charge him with heavy fines instead of wasting the taxpayers money by keeping him in jail.
He solicited an act of violence, an assault. This was a just decision by the judge.
11
He was convicted of FRAUD and faces 20 years. Do you think he deserves permanent probation cause he is a rich republican?
12
He is a convicted felon. It was really a courtesy to permit him to be out on bail prior to his sentencing, and that only on the basis of good behavior. His offering money to those who would commit an assault on Mrs Clinton is not good behavior; therefore he belongs back in jail. He'll surely get credit for time served. It'll come off the end of the very long multi-year sentence he deserves.
10
There are many more rich that need jailing.
10
and there is room enough for them also.
6
It's about time Shkreli paid the price for his outrageous, despicable behavior. Offering a large sum of money over the internet to physically attack a woman who has been the target of hateful and violent rhetoric is no joke; I'm grateful that he is finally being held accountable. Shkreli has flaunted his wealth and behaved unethically (if not illegally) and has believed he is above reproach. Perhaps he is finally re-thinking that assumption while sitting in jail without his computer and internet connection.
97
Abuse of judicial power. I think the age difference between the judge and Shkreli has something to do with it. She can't wrap her mind around the unique persona Shkreli has invented for his social media followers.
2
She did wrap her mind around it and determined that he is inciting violence by his social media followers.
21
An immature and ethically bankrupt man and the deluded creeps who follow him. No generation gap there, but a moral one
19
This "unique persona" thing is getting old. That's what Trump's apologists use to defend him whenever they're called in for higher ratings on the news programs. This guy's brand of "unique persona" is sociopathic. I'll stop there.
14
Thank God he's only the head of a pharmaceutical company and not the President...whoops--we already have someone strikingly similar in the White House don't we? Oh dear...
13
Difference: DT was voted into office by Americans. The make-up of our republic has kept him fairly ineffective so far.
People who don't like it need to use DTs' fickleness to promote their own ends. Democrat representatives seem to be realizing this.
Re: "...Mr. Shkreli, dressed in a lavender button-down shirt, was animated for much of the hearing, as he had been throughout his trial. But his behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing..."
If this bail revocation demonstrates to Mr. Shkreli that his behaviors are unacceptable...
Good!
11
I thought the offer was $10 000 per hair! In that event the offer seems like an incentive for an assassination a la Kim or Dirty Donald rhetoric.
Don't think the world will lose any sleep over Shkreli being in prison.
7
Maybe Shkreli bro is not as smart as he claims to be and that is why he has ended up in jail to await his trial. Threats should be taken seriously.
43
He has already been tried and convicted. He is awaiting sentencing, which he he can do just as easily from jail
1
A little too late for his lawyers to show he is no threat; threats are his thing. So is being anti-social, as he made evident through not the Daraprim hike alone but the obscene increase and his snarky indifference to what "lifesaving"" means.
9
Attention America: This is the type of person Wall Street seeks out, develops, and cultivates. Am I wrong to believe that Wall Street might not be the best place to look for leaders?
15
Let's see, he is 34, Hillary is 70, so his mother could be the same age as Hillary. Would he promote someone attacking his mother for money? Does he think that it is OK to run up to a woman and pull her hair out? He is now trying to say this was satire/joke.....why is the joke on women who daily have to be on guard to protect themselves against any and all attacks from guys like this. I can just imagine what the women who worked with this guy went through on a daily basis. Every day you get up and go to work hoping that you can get through the day without some jerk insulting you, touching you inappropriately or making some nasty comment. This is our life!!
24
That is just creepy.
11
Just another case of stupidity. Some of us are spiraling out of our minds.
In another time I'd say this order was over the top; but with the way that technology has connected us all, we need to take even the most ridiculous seriously.
Boundaries friends, we need to consider our statements as personal intrusions. Freedom ain't free, why it's costing us our humanity.
The following is my off the cuff cheat sheet: (ridiculous?...)
Thank you.
You are welcome.
May I be excused from the dinner table?
Hello, nice to meet you.
Welcome friend.
I'm terribly sorry to hear that.
I'm sorry, was my machine being to obnoxious? I will be more careful next time.
Excuse me, but do you mind if I yell caustic words at my teenage daughter in the middle of this public space?
3
Psychopath, plain and simple, this does not absolve him of responsibility for his heinous behavior. Put him in prison, maybe that will cool his inflated idea of himself.
10
If we locked everyone up who mouthed off or trash talked, 3/4 of us would be in jail. This is a clear example of a federal prosecutor who could not convict an amoral weasel of a man for serious crimes but only minor offenses and so now goes after him for a rude comment which was a non-crime. It is as repugnant as the defendant himself. But if it was a real crime, or threat, they'd charge him now with making violent threats to a federal official. It is not the government's job to wipe the smirk off his bro face.
What's worse: A pharma industry/economic system that permits a Shkreli? Or a vindictive all powerful government that abuses its power?
5
I agree with your statement that it's not the govt job to wipe the smirk of his face; that's actually just added value here. What he did was go ONLINE and ask people to ASSAULT Clinton, who has received probably countless threats already. That is a not an act of smugness; it's a call to arms to Clinton haters and other psychopaths. It 100% puts her in danger, Secret Service or not. For goodness sake, the whole world watched Trump lurk behind her -- yes, threaten her -- on a televised public stage and where were the SS then? The woman was on her own, as she would be when some lunatic jumped across whatever to be that person who attacked Clinton. I don't care how many smiley faces Shkreli puts online after the fact, I think most women got the message loud and clear. Quite poetic that he, in the end, faced a no-nonsense woman judge.
Do I feel bad that he will be in prison and quite unready for what it presents? Only a little. I feel worse for the person in prison because of non-violent drug problem. He will learn first-hand what danger really looks like, and how "lol" doesn't stop anyone. None of it is funny, and we should not cut anyone any slack because the threat was online.
17
An arrogant pharma upstart. Personal responsibility means Shkreli is responsible for his own bad behavior.
7
Throw away the key, as far as I am concerned. Let him be a lesson to all the other woman-hating "bros" out there.
24
Thank you Mike.
9
Well, looks like Republicans have found a viable 2020 candidate to run against Trump
10
He is a Hillary donor. He probably wanted the hair as partial compensation for the poor campaign she ran and for losing. His plan was to pay her to pardon him, as her husband did for Marc Rich.
This man has been asking to be jailed for a long long time!
6
I stumbled upon one of Shkreli's live social media posts without even remembering who he was - he was just hanging out anonymously on a Periscope-like channel talking vitriolic nonsense to a multitude of random people who hung on every word he said. I couldn't help but be reminded of Trump and the similar effect he had on jaded members of society. We live in an era where disenfranchised people have more power than ever to identify and elevate their own idols to the table. This is a problem. Call it what you want; this is a big problem.
14
He deserves it but the path seems a bit dubious... Anyways action and reaction ;-)
What a space cadet. Shkreli belongs behind bars.
4
I love the part where he changed his act when the judge sent him to jail. We know the dark side of twitter and how it devolves. Some bonehead out there is definitely going to try and get that hair now, with a follicle, and Scy. Clinton has yet another thing to worry about. It's sad he has to go to jail, I'm not a fan of this sort of thing, but some of these kids really do need a reason to behave. For this ace, he is the exception and would probably benefit from a few nights in the Brooklyn jail.
I think the greater threat than pulling the hair off of Scy. Clinton is this guy's endgame. What does he need her DNA mapping for exactly? (In reference to his stated need for a follicle) The guy needs some intense therapy. Maybe his interest in pharmaceuticals was more Freudian.
9
Shkreli is yet another example of those who pervert their right to freedom of speech and 'free' markets for their own exclusive benefit at the expense of others who use their freedoms responsibly.
10
The man is a sociopath. End of story.
11
I still believe people are missing the point. Shkreli is a CONVICTED felon. He has been found guilty of fraud and was only out of prison while awaiting sentencing. He is not, as other posters suggest, awaiting trial to determine if he is innocent or guilty, he has been adjudged guilty. After a conviction, the standards for revoking bail are greatly reduced. While some may view his FB posts as a joke, as a self-proclaimed intelligent person, Shkreli would have been fully aware that any untoward actions could result in the revocation of his bail. The time he serves now will reduce any prison time he ultimately has to serve as a result of his conviction.
188
Thank you, ECW, for making this clear. Convicted felons do not have the same rights -- First Amendment rights or otherwise -- as other people.
10
Very well put. It seems as if some are under the impression that there is the potential for innocence here. His bail was revoked because he made a post that solicited a violent threat from the people who are following him for reasons that are beyond me. Shkreli's lawyer attempting to write off a requested assault as humor doesn't make it any less dangerous; I'm glad that Judge Matsumoto saw through this.
10
“$5,000 but the hair has to include a follicle."
Thank god the judge was a woman, who recognized a bona fide threat when she saw it, and knew his "LOL" was insufficient to negate his true objective.
If Donald Trump can chant "lock her up" without caring about a trial, his deplorables would be only too happy to grab her hair.
14
He employs the white supremacist play book here.
1. Use social media for offensive ideas. We all know "the base" welcomes ideas that hint at violence
2. When the violence occurs, "I was just kidding! Jeez, lighten up already!" is offered as an explanation.
3. Jail turns out to be as humorless as the criminal is!
17
I'm sure part of the rationale for putting him back in jail is an attempt -- yet again -- to teach this arrogant, egotistical man to have respect for the law and authority. Doubtful. If Bernie Madoff can corner the Swiss Miss powdered chocolate milk market where he is, it's pretty clear that Shkreli, too, will carry on business as usual.
Nothing touches these guys.
2
Sounds like this guy's been hitting the hash pipe.
Seriously, though, I don't see how Sec. Clinton can safely conduct her book tour. I'm still not over Donald Trump's suggestion that second amendment aficionados take care of Sec. Clinton.
Has everyone lost their minds?
9
He needs to be sent to a rubber room or best, give him a Cabinet post in the Grifter’s administration.
2
“Stupid doesn’t make you violent,” .... Yes, yes it does. Stupid SPAWNS violence.
18
A lock for a lock - as the good book says.
2
I'm really weirded out by some of the comments on this guy's behavior. Can you not see the difference between a satirical political cartoon or burning an effigy in protest and offering remuneration for obtaining a sample of anything (hair, skin, fingernail clippings, blood, urine) from the anatomy of living human being who has not given consent for this?
And, really, folks - why would anybody follow this guy on Facebook? Are there no entertainment programs on television anymore? Are there no new episodes of Jackass? Have all the bars closed?
I am so sick of people impugning Sec. Clinton. She had the credentials, the work ethic, the professionalism, and the sincere desire to be President of the United States. She may not have been as far to the left as I would have liked, but it wasn’t a stunt for her and I never doubted that she was in it for the benefit of the citizens of the United States.
175
She didn't wanna risk a fair primary. It was not only Sanders she feared. The Dems Leadership did discourage all other hopefuls and had forgotten how poorly she did against Obama.
1
Pleas to pull Hillary's hair make him infantile.
Raising the price of a life saving drug by 5000% make him a black-hearted egomaniac.
3
Pleas to pull Hillary's hair make him dangerous. He has a following that would be only too willing to oblige.
2
His lawyer is smiling because he is thinking "I'm getting paid a boatload of money, and this jerk's going to jail. Not a bad day's work."
2
Hello! Has no one figured out that this man is crazy?
2
This week is looking up.
4
He wanted to drug test the hair.
I think Ms. Shkreli should be put in the general prison population, you know, to see how the other half lives.
8
So we are now putting people in Jail for farcical and sarcastic social media posts? Really?
8
How about if your daughter was the object of the $5k offer?
I guess if it's Clinton, that's ok though.
15
He offered MONEY and didn't a SINGLE subtextual indication that this was farcical, and when given the context of this dirtbag's public life, it's reasonable to believe he was serious. He's a sociopath.
8
Lesson: don't threaten Secret-Service protectees. Simple.
7
Mr Shkreli needs to learn not to poke the bear.
Shkreli lacks a moral compass for sure, but his intention (stupid as it was) was to stir the social-media pot. My sense from various published interviews with him is that he is autism-spectrum.
OTOH, putting him in prison is fine but it DOES look a govt being retaliatory based on a different previous crime he committed.
4
As I have two children who are on the spectrum, I'm not so sure about the autism guess. Typically those on the spectrum have a high sense of order and correctness, as well as of right and wrong. Things in their world are very much black and white.
Shkreli, from what I've seen, just doesn't care. There are myriad numbers of possible diagnoses for that personality trait, which I won't get into.
And I think he was given ample warnings by the court to watch his behavior. This was a bluff he got called on. No sympathy here.
3
I find it laugh out loud funny to read each and every one of these liberal commenters advocating special vindictive punishment for Shkreli because of his mere "bro" attitude.
So much for Due Process and the Constitution. So much for the argument liberals are more fair.
As far as I can tell, liberals are no less inclined to void our rights as are conservatives. A pox on both of you.
1
@Darcey -- i respectfully call your attention to ECW's post above (it's also a NYT Pick). It explains quite well Shkreli's situation. Bluntlly: Shkreli, who was akready CONVICTED, was WARNED by the judge that his conduct while out awaiting sentencing couid send him to jail early. Shkreli ignored that. If you disagree, take it up with the judge.
And *I* find it laugh-out-loud funny to read all the knee-jerk political labelling that always seems to happen no matter the story -- it should be a logical fallacy all its own as it always seems to be the go-to argument for too many people. You know no more about my political leanings from my posts on this story than I know your hair color.
3
I was dismayed that the article makes no mention of DNA sequencing from this hair he was seeking. This could be an attempt at a complete different crime from that reported.
What could someone with access to advanced bio-science do with a political figure's genome?
27
I don't know. Maybe clone Hillary Clinton?
2
You can't get DNA from hair. Shkreli knows that. Which is why the entire thing was obviously just a joke. The issue was that his Facebook followers didn't know it was a joke and it put Hillary in potential danger of having her hair plucked by some Shkreli disciple.
Your question is moot.
You most certainly can get DNA from a hair.
9
The entitled have their day in court -- and lose. Democracy lives. People are safe.
14
For Shkreli to go offering violence on anyone, whether it is just a few hairs pulled to someone or several someones shot makes no real difference. He does not seem to be able to tell the differrence in scope, for example his raising a drug price by 5000% endangering many lives and who knows how many lives actually lost due to suddenly having the drug they are on going out of their price range entirely.
Put him in the general Population zone of Rikers Island, let him deal with Real People in a Real World scenario where Nobody else has anywhere near the money he presently has.
Also, since Sessions is so big on Civil Forfeiture, why is he not removing this spoiled brat's overstuffed bank account and turning it ALL over to the US Treasury? I thought that was what the Civil Forfeiture was for, to be an efficient way of funding the Police without resorting to extra taxes...yet they somehow pick on the poorer druggies and occassional drug dealer, who has Nowhere Near the amount stashed away as does Shkreli...Oh yeah, that Civil Forfeiture is ONLY for "Druggies, Minority Lowlifes and The Poor", not for the Uber Rich Whites who happen to break the law more often than most Americans.
He is lucky he was only tried for fraud this time, if he is not very careful and mindful of other people and the possible negative outcomes of his rash, unthought out actions and their repercussions he will end up being tried for murder.
Time to slow down and wise up Mr. Shkreli, before it is too late!
32
Shkreli gets to keep his millions while, just two days ago, a hotdog vendor in California had his wallet taken and all his money removed by a police officer for selling hotdogs without a permit. The police got $60. When asked by a bystander why he was taking the man's money, the officer said, "A judge will decide if he gets his money back or not."
Justice in America. A poor hotdog vendor gets his $60 taken. A corrupt millionaire like Shkreli seems to get to keep his ill-got millions.
58
Shkreli — and all pharmaceutical companies — routinely raise prices to drugs. There was nothing unusual or unfair about it. The fact that you think there was tells me you have very little knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry.
Increased drug costs are a direct consequence of Obamacare, which eliminates the inherent cost constraints that would have been imposed by free market capitalism and instead substitutes it with mandatory insurance policies.
Also, if you have a problem with any drug company that charges too much money for a drug {whatever that means}, then you also must have a problem with all pharmaceutical companies that choose not to sell any given drug. Surely you cannot claim that selling an expensive drug is worse than not even selling that same drug.
He was not convicted for raising prices: Obamacare was designed to increase drug prices.
He was convicted of fraud for other activities.
Poor pharma bro! So maligned! Don't forget, there are bad people on both sides, amirite? Shkreli gets put in the hoosegow for making explicit incitements to violence. Then on the other side, there are the millions of people who have remarked that he has a face that is just begging to be punched.
No me. Other people. ;-)
12
Social media empowers these recalcitrant people like Shkreli. The president, as many note here, uses it to effect. So Judge Matsumoto made a wise decision that protects people in our society from the social misfits who threaten our good citizens.
We need a leader in the White House who encourages intelligent behavior, not one who games the social media deviants. And Shkreli thought that he could get away with publishing any perverse, defamatory statement that would support his contorted view of the world.
22
The real issue here is why anyone took this child seriously.
8
would you take it seriously if your necessary prescription went from $100 to $10,000?
7
Why is he taken seriously, well, for one he is over eighteen, which means he, and he alone is responsible for his actions now, and also because he has a net worth of some $50 Million, which says he has the means to be able to do nearly anything he wants simply by paying someone else to do it.
For someone like that to offer violence against a Major Political Figure means that the establishment has to Do something, especially when he makes direct offers to pay for what would have to be a violent action against Mrs. Clinton, and then whatever he would do with said hairs, whether some strange attempt at cloning or to use as some sort of 'voodoo doll' focus or whatnot, in any case is not in any way for good intentions.
When someone with that kind of money and a proven lack of morals starts throwing around offers to pay for violence at any level, then any and all police agencies are going to perk their ears up and move in as they have seen this movie time and time again. Best to lock him up for a proven crime BEFORE he moves on to actual murder or murder for hire.
5
The explicit language of his post makes it clear that he will pay money for each hair obtained. That encourages an the assault and for the assaulter to try to grab a handful and yank. A true threat.
There should be a new crime written just for this man involving intolerable misuse of intelligence, howling selfishness, unbearable condescension and obnoxious personal hubris. Guilty as charged.
Sentence to be served in the most unappealing and physically challenging facility possible, in general population, working latrine duty cleaning up the waste created by people he feels so superior to, and his reading material limited to the writings of the most liberal and gentle and giving and self sacrificing philosophers and thinkers of the ages.
He may find some realization of the error of his ways, and spend the rest of his life using his obvious talents in the service of people instead of himself.
26
It is clear that this young man is emotionally disturbed. Please help him and others like like him who are so brilliant yet have no so social skills. They continue to cause havoc in the workplace.
3
I see the emotionally disturbed, not so much the "brilliant", unless it's based on being manipulative.
The fact that these types of aggressive/arrogant men are allowed to climb up the corporate ladders is merely an expression of the unregulated capitalism that rewards anyone as long as they increase the bottom line.
While this loud-mouth gets the attention and legal focus, Wall Street continues to be aswarm with the less boisterous ones, especially since they all got away with it in 2008.
79
"who are so brilliant "
What evidence do we have that this spoiled brat is brilliant?
6
There's a fascinating book on studies of why psychopathic-type personalities do well in the corporate environment and are often difficult to spot until it's too late. It's called "Snakes in Suits".
5
This is a character problem, not a mental health problem.
25
Whew! At least he hasn't called for her assassination like more than a few liberals have done for Trump. And those liberals got no jail time.
8
did they violate the terms of their probation?
7
At least he hasn't called for her assassination like Trump did. And Trump got no jail time.
2
I'm appalled by so many comments saying he got "jail time". Doesn't anyone know the difference between being "jailed" for something and having their bail revoked???? He was out on bail. His bail was revoked because the judge saw his invitation to violence as a violation of the bail terms. End of story.
16
Just another out of control rich narcissist, much like the incompetent clown in the white house. Let's hope they both end where they belong, in jail!
74
I wonder how he became a CEO ? These shareholders are suppose to be so smart they allowed someone like him to run their company? It doesn't matter now. He is in for a new adventure and it wont be like TV. No one will be laughing at his wit instead Mr. Shkreli will be keeping a seat warm for the other clown who will be arriving sooner than later.
8
Well said.
6
plain & simple he is a sick weirdo with ill intent. the pharm price ripoff was also an assault against unsuspecting people. keep him locked up!
37
“Stupid doesn’t make you violent,”
So can we dispense with the notion that someone, like Shkreli or Trump, must be smart because they are rich. It seems that being an insensitive jerk is a much better predictor of wealth than being intelligent.
44
Having no morals is an easy way to get rich in this country.
3
"But his behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing."
I'll bet his demeanor changed. This amoral worm is a clear threat to society as demonstrated by his price gouging with Daraprim.
Lock him away for ever.
43
Hillary should donate a hair, attached to a note that reads, "America agrees: Martin Shkreli is TRULY deplorable! Lock him up!"
5
And then get a drug test on the hair
"Who likes Martin? Something tells me he will be just fine..."
-Donald Trump
12
That a man like this could have followers is a disgrace.
30
One such man had a significant number of unwavering followers that he became the POTUS!
17
Don't even think about it Mr. President, you don't have any to spare.
12
It is as if the current men(Trump leading the pack)who are grabbing attention are the worst example of the abusive, disgusting male behavior. I call it the extinction burst of the patriarchy.
31
Luckily, Trump has his pardon pen warmed up.
11
The world would definitely be a less bad place without him. He seems to gather in himself much of what is despicable about the human species.
16
Maybe Shkreli can be cell mates with Bernie Madoff. Two peas in a pod who believe their wealth and power somehow make them superior to the rest of society. Thank God for the US Constitution and the separation of powers.
15
Lock him up and throw away the key and follow up by jailing anyone and everyone from big Pharma who is prepared to hike the prices of medicines into a range that will kill you. Capitalism run amok. Dear GOP take a hint... only do the crime if you're willing to do the time.
20
Heather Bresch at Mylan, take note.
1
On a happier note, this solidifies Clinton's reputation as a hair icon.
18
Ah, the hair apparent, apparently.
4
Interesting that Marty quieted down in the courtroom once he realized he was in some serious trouble and headed for a cell. He finally came across someone who was going to take him to task for his arrogance. Judge Matsumoto is a hero for locking up Shkreli.
The worst punishment for him will probably be the loss of internet access, which the Brooklyn Detention Center does not provide inmates. Without his Tweets and social media rantings, Skreli will cease to exist. All he'll have is his four walls, 24 hours a day. LOL
48
...and, of course, a ton of new friends.
2
Someone should offer Mr Shrkreli $5000 for every word he doesn't utter. Forever.
9
While I have no love for this man, and find his actions execrable, these are not the choices of a mentally balanced person. I think the gentleman needs psychological evaluation and help.
4
I hear they have excellent psychiatric care at Attica.
11
As long as he gets it while being locked away, that's fine with me.
7
Attica is a state prison. Shkreli is going to a white collar country club federal prison.
Good! Words have consequences. We as a society seem to have forgotten that lately.
47
His post said "grab" a hair from her.
That's a bit more inciteful than simply "seeking a hair" and makes it crystal clear what a goober is to do to 'earn' the $5k.
28
The liberals love a good jail, tar, and feather an anti-Clinton capitalist story. The "Shkreli" persona is how they ignorantly perceive all conservatives.
1
Your use of 'all' and your characterization of liberals without qualification bespeak a certain narrowness of view. There are intelligent conservatives out there. But they are mistaken and misguided.
25
No, DecliningSociety, we do not perceive all conservatives this way. Shkreli is just an immature jerk; his politics have nothing to do with it.
22
Using a generalization to complain about a generalization. Nice.
14
My first thought was that the "hair" from someone's head is the same as the "head" demanded as proof by a medieval lord that the killing of an enemy had been successfully accomplished.
What say you, Shkreli?
19
I thought it was a Tolkien reference about when the dwarf was given a strand of hair from the beautiful elven queen..
3
I don't have a problem with anyone making profits off of pharmaceuticals, but if he broke the law related to pharmaceuticals, then there should be consequences. If you don't like the law, go to Congress to get it changed. Don't break it.
Once entering the court process, making an offer for a lock of hair from a former presidential candidate is blindly self-destructive. His lawyer no doubt told him to keep his mouth shut. Especially, don't ever even joke about the physical person of a presidential candidate. That's not something anyone should joke about. Former candidate or not. Period. A candidate for the presidency should have the same respect and right to personal safety as the President. People should not fear that they will be endangered if they run for office, and we must protect people who exercise this prerogative. I don't like the lady's politics, but she should not have to worry one iota about some creep trying to pull her hair. They should bring separate charges for this incident and lock him up specially for this act of encouraging someone to assault former Secretary Clinton. The judge was right to revoke bail.
The judge was right to lock this idiot up.
39
Windfall profits on pharmaceuticals=illness, suffering and death. What he did with the price of that drug should have been criminal in a decent society.
1
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I hope prison finally, permanently, wipes that disgusting smirk off his face. Perhaps a couple of decades in a maximum security federal prison will teach him some humility.
53
I'm glad to see bail denied. Narcists, especially narcists with ca$h think they have total impunity. They cannot be appealed to in terms of scruples. They need to have their behavior disincentivized before they discontinue the behavior. They can only process what benefits or adversely affects them personally, and only when they see their behavior bringing them personal disadvantage will they cease.
24
Good point. Now maybe if Trump had some con$equence$ to his behavior...
7
If I was Hillary, I would now have to be protecting my stray hairs from people gathering them silently and then selling them so they can "perform: DNA extractions to see if I am the devil? Right! We have gone down a very slippery slope.
Has anyone tested a Donald strand to see if it is really human hair? Now that has a chance of being proven to be an acrylic fiber. If he is non-human we could throw out the election, I am pretty sure.
26
Now that's truly funny!
7
Oh god, I think you have something there. Maybe the WH housekeeping staff?
3
That will be the next attempt by Hillary's supporters who cannot accept the outcome of the election. Their other attempts to abrogate the election having failed, they will claim he is ET.
"Mr. Shkreli’s lawyer argued at the hearing that Mr. Shkreli was not violent and that the post had been 'a momentary lapse in judgment.'”
"Momentary lapse in judgment"? Most of this scum's public life has been an exercise in bad judgment. Like the securities fraud for which he's now going to jail. Like putting the price of a life-saving drug beyond the reach of everyone who needs it.
See ya, Shkreli. No one cares who clever you thought you were.
38
And the lawyers bad judgment?
1
Let me share a thought about what I think is missing here in all these comments. This excuse for a human being, Martin Shkeli, should have been put way a long time ago after he raised the price on a life saving drug thousands percent.
30
There'll be always people thinking of themselves as 'Cream' floating above everything. Selfish mania makes it possible.
8
Shkreli is the perfect argument against "Any press is good press."
11
“a momentary lapse in judgment.”
"Lapse" implies that he usually shows good judgment, that is a judgment of his behavior that appears to be flawed, itself. Don't trust either Shkreli or his lawyer. That are both demonstrating poor judgment.
Getting sent to jail seemed to shock Shkreli. Nice to know that something shut the rude boy up.
21
Neither of the two principals featured here were very bright.
And there will always be amongst a population of veterans and others, who have held security clearances, who might prefer that Her Majesty should have already been locked up for compromising our National Security.
1
Our current President has compromised our national security numerous times since taking office. Do you agree that he should be "locked up."
15
Just like many prefer Gen Flynn to be locked up
8
Sure! Put them all in the same cell too!
2
Instead of enjoying the potentially last moments of freedom for possibly a long time, and/or working on a appeal with his lawyers, Mr. Shkreli dwells on how to cause harm to individuals with no nexus with him. He definitely is sick. Maybe when he gets out he can work with an alt right media outlet where he can channel his animosity to an audience who will warmly receive him.
19
Thousands of autograph seekers and book buyers will be flocking to Clinton events, many camping out all night long. They deserve a safe, peaceful environment, as does the star of the show.
13
Wrong! Hillary takes full responsibility for the faults in her campaign that really were hers. But the Russian shenanigans, Comey (false) accusations about her emails, and other deplorable diversionary tactics were NOT her fault, and the Trump campaign owns them.
9
Is it your position that she was not negligent in storing her server in the bathroom of the contractor?
Yet another manifestation of an overly politicized judiciary and its routine abuse of judicial power.
1
I am so very glad the judge was a woman. I wish I could have seen the expression on her face as the lawyer tried to explain that this was meant as satire or a joke.
26
It takes a woman to do the right thing.
9
There are those who always want to push the boundaries and then, when it is found to be too much will retreat with the usual disclaimers that it is was a joke. It was said with a smile. Or "this is satire, meant for humor."
It's not. And they know it. And we know it. Further they are cowards for not having the conviction of their statements or actions as they try to weasel out when it didn't work for them.
33
Shkreli clearly feels a sense of entitlement, similar to men who are violent to women partners. What we know about batterers is that they use a variety of non-violent, yet intimidating/controlling tactics to get what they want. When that doesn't work, they resort to physical or sexual violence.
I'm not inferring that Shkreli is a batterer. But, he clearly has privilege and a sense of entitlement just like batterers. His behavior is not surprising and the prosecutors and judge were right to revoke his bail.
18
You may not be inferring he is a batterer, but you are implying it.
Judge Matsumoto is absolutely correct. Regardless of Mr. Shkreli's presumed intent, he is handing a loaded gun to anyone who wants to take it. John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan to impress Jodi Foster. Mark David Chapman killed John Lennon because he was influenced by "Catcher in the Rye." Shkreli is responsible for the for the consequences of his reckless statements.
28
Yet not a single person attempted to pluck a hair from Hillary, rendering your little hypothetical doomsday scenario void.
But he is going to prison for FRAUD, for a long time, up to 20 years. Do you think this judge will be lenient after she told him to behave himself while he was on bail?
1
Shkreli, like our president, believes --not thinks, believes-- he is above the law. Both need to be educated in no uncertain terms in reality.
71
LOL to say Trump thinks he's above the law, what did you consider Hillary? Gawd, the hypocritical left just can't see they wear no clothes. Seriously? What has President Trump done for you to draw such conclusion? This is so rich
5
Right, and Hillary deleting 30,000 emails after she was served with a FBI subpoena for them is not a crime? And the fact that she was selling foreign policy as Secretary of State to the highest bidder through the Clinton Foundation is your idea of complying with the law?
What did Trump do that approaches that level of criminality?
"Momentary lapse in judgement." That's rich for a guy who's life is nothing but a series of lapses in judgement.
46
Yes - moment by moment!
3
Why a hair? With a follicle? What did this pharma bro plan to do with the hair? Create a weapon specifically targeting HRC's DNA? That's the big unanswered question here: why a hair?
14
Is this because Shkreli believes in voodoo?
5
Possibly because of what it may reveal in terms of health issues or ancestry. Imagine if it was done it keeps HRC in the news which serves primarily to stoke right-wing animosity and keep the base shrieking for more.
4
I am really tired of "Whataboutism" arguments, where the poster immediately posts "but what about people saying mean things about Trump?" People! This article is about Shkreli and the consequences for his bad choices. I'm not going to read your post if you don't recognize that.
29
Maybe Trump will pardon him too.
145
Why would Trump pardon him? Trump isn't Obama who issued more pardons than any past president, and those were reserved only for Drug Dealers.
2
Please don't give Trump any ideas I couldn't bear the acrimony.
3
Actually, 18 presidents have given more pardons than Obama.
5
Few people have Shkreli's skill at making one's skin crawl. This is one of the worst specimens of the human race. Ethically bankrupt in private and happy to boast of it in public.
50
True meaning of deplorable!!!!
43
I disagree with the statement "stupid doesn't make you violent" ... And violence is all relative now, since we weathered the "lockerup" campaign last year. Name calling, nonsensical screaming untruths are just part of our making America greater. Many decent Americans live in fear because of stupid making violent. Lock her up to build a wall to deport them. It's like some nightmare we can't wake up from. Violence is not always a gun, knife or fists. It is with intent, hate, bigotry, racism. The world has gone mad, and much stupid.
59
What is wrong with this guy?! He's a self-made millionaire so he can't be dumb, is he crazy? Or just another viciously mean rich guy?
18
He may not be dumb, but that doesn't mean he is smart either. Maybe he is a sociopath with the inability to feel empathy toward his fellow human being or any other sort of compassion (outside of sympathy for himself). While the rest of the human population is burdened with a conscious, Mr. Shkreli apparently is not, and in the business world has a leg up on everyone else who just cannot perform the acts he is will to for the sake of money. A conscience is a terrible impediment if one wants to be incredibly wealthy or gain political power.
8
First, you need to define smart.
1
What a testament to this strange country we live in. This worthless piece of garbage jacked up the price of a lifesaving medicine to make obscene profits. Perfectly defensible in our capitalist system run wild. Now he is reduced to a Kardashian like bizarreness and we hang on his every, half mad word. Thank you judge for revoking this clown's bond. Our moderate and centrist judiciary are the last fig leaf of sense left in the republic.
70
Right up until trump and the GOP congress push through hundreds of right wing judges, filling vacancies the GOP refuse to fill under Obama.
5
No, "we" don't "hang on his every ... word". Maybe his Twitter followers do, but most of us only know what he said because it's quoted in a news report about his behavior, and his behavior is newsworthy because it has an impact on the health and welfare (physical and financial) of people who've done nothing wrong.
3
Snarky, all right.
I recall president Trumps long-time butler threatened publically to kill former president Obama. Has he been arrested?
30
From "Lock her up" to this classic jerk's offering a reward for a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair, Shkreli is, without a doubt, the poster boy for what the Republican Party has become. Meanwhile, the malignant narcissist, Donald Trump, is probably plotting to pardon Shkreli as soon as possible.
44
About time this immature criminal was put behind bars.
18
Does no one have a sense of humor in this God forsaken country anymore? The judge really stretched the law to revoke Shkreli's bond based in a post about Hillary's hair. It is a shame the NYT did not print the post for context because Shkreli claimed to want the hair so he could test the DNA to see if Hillary was the offspring of Satan or something silly like that. It was obviously a joke (or course, if Hillary were an offspring of Satan, she might have won the election, which against the odds, she did not).
3
Clearly the judge had a sense of humor, because if that was in fact a joke, it was a terrible one and he deserved getting locked up for it. Same for his harassment of Lauren Duca.
23
There was no evidence that he was joking and no additional context as you theorize; he is a businessperson afterall so one of his followers might think he was serious. In a later post I recall that he said he would be outside her book signing protesting; I guess he decided not to show up or that would have been in the news, but I think it shows, in my opinion, an unhealthy fixation with her, IMHO.
12
There are - in case you have not noticed - a large number of rather emotionally/mentally fragile people in the this country. Also, there are a fair number of people living in economic distress. Some people qualify in both categories. (I suspect there is a correlation between the degree of fragility and the number of guns owned.) The same "joke" that might be a harmless - if tasteless - joke in the privacy of one's home or social circle could become deadly on the Internet.
The judge was prudent. Shkreli was not. He gets no sympathy from me.
16
This joker is what passes for a captain of industry these days. Calling today a Gilded Age insults past Gilded Ages.
26
He's a menace to society. Society must be protected.
24
I thought of posting this article to my own FB page, with the caption "Calculating nutcase? you decide", but I decided against it. I feel certain most people will have already arrived at this, or a similar, conclusion.
5
Exactly, much as those who threatened to harm President Trump should be watched over and paraded as miscreants.
4
Or that President Trump should be when he threatens...well just about everyone.
11
There appears to me to be a double standard.
1
I completely support charging this guy for threatening Hillary, and also those people who threatened Trump--even if it was disguised as a joke. If it is a colorable threat, being also a colorable joke is no defense.
2
Cool script line for next years SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK, where Hilda plays the part of Julia Cesara and Mr. Shkreli plays Shrek Brutus, the play closes with Shrek getting a lock of Julia Cesara s hair. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, political bigotry abounds!
4
You know there's a mental imbalance and dude is a bit tap tap. He did, however, have a moment of clarity when the judge announced his return behind bars. Best therapy ever! Guess his attorney didn't tell him jail was a possibility for this offense.
20
The headline in my Apple News App simply said that he was going to jail after posting about Hilary. Of course that sounded draconian and illiberal. It turns out he was soliciting an assault on someone, what a disgusting human being.
But I wonder how many people only read the headline on the Apple News App and just thought "crooked Hillary and the legal system protecting her again" and didn't bother to find the truth behind the salacious headline.
23
Sadly, the NY Times's own headline is not much different.
5
Fair? Not fair? Politically motivated? True threat or not? I just can't get past my first reaction...I really did laugh out loud. Made my day!
3
I guess being rich does not make you smart or loved. Surprised Shreki did not swing a gig at the FDA (and subsequent pardon).
7
I must admit, I laughed pretty hard at the Times' note that Shkreli was "dressed in lavender button-down shirt" at the hearing. Why on earth was such an inane detail included in the story? And no mention of his pants or shoes for context? Are reporters from the fashion beat now covering criminal stories?
4
So, details on what the subject wore are verboten? Only six words if you count button- down as two. If he showed up in a suit of armor I'd want to know about it.
3
Sometimes that's how female writers are.
1
Jim, it happens to women in the news all the time.
15
Reading some of the comments posted are fascinating. Some readers feel that putting someone in jail for "posting on FB" is extreme.
They don't get it. It's not a freedom of speech thing. He posted a reward of $5,000 to encourage some nut job out there to assault a person. Shkreli modifying the post by adding a day later that it was "meant for humor" doesn't mitigate his intent.
His attorney says it may have been a truly stupid thing to do (oh it was all of that) - and this guy certainly needs a comeuppance to tamper down his extreme arrogance - but when you encourage people to harm another person that is a threat. Jail is where he belongs.
307
Lost in all these comments is that Shkreli's public call placing a bounty to incite idiots to assault Hillary Clinton is motivated by him as retaliation going back to when she was one of the first to publicly excoriate his criminal actions as a CEO.
http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-martin-shkreli-daraprim-p....
This indicates that Shkreli's motive was revenge.
Trump suggested wanting to shoot candidate Clinton was 'understandable' for gun advocates. Trump excused Ted Nugent for calling for the beheading of President Obama and later had him, Sarah Palin and Kid Rock over for snacks at the Whiter than Ever House.
It's pretty obvious what the racist and sexist subtext of all this baiting by billionaire brats really is. Trump is simply a more successful psychopath than Shkreli.
29
The revenge motive is irrelevant. She probably does deserve revenge, but not this sort. She should feel safe in her physical person.
Hooey, revenge motive would be decisive for any judge assessing a convict out on bail, as it would be relate to to assessing sincerity of regret and intent.
2
If Shkreli's provocative post to grab Hillary's hair is a jailable offense, what of Donald Trump's many tweets (that he took down after public outcry) suggesting harm to CNN, and his live supplications of rally attendees to do harm to protesters, not to mention his bragging of grabbing women's private parts?
Lock him up...too!
86
Reminder: Trump is President, and he knows that being President puts him above most laws governing you and me and Shkreli. Thank goodness at least Shkreli can be reined-in.
4
trump is not out on bail awaiting a prison sentence for fraud, either. At least not yet.
2
This can mean only one thing: The GOP will run him for office. If he moves upstate, he'll win.
29
Trump has to pardon him first.
1
Shkreli wanted a piece of Hillary Clinton's hair, including the follicle, so that he could have her DNA sequenced. Shkreli, with deep contacts in the biotechnology field, could then have a personalized bioweapon created that would target only Clinton. No, that's not a joke, and it is not science fiction. Read the following article from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/11/hacking-the-preside... . Shkreli's offer of a bounty for Clinton's hair is a very serious threat against her life. He was rightly jailed.
47
And here I thought he wanted to clone her.
5
Wow. So that's what this was about? Scary. Thanks for sharing this. It puts meat on the otherwise bizarre bones of this story.
3
As demented as that act would be, he did modify his request and make it clear he wanted a follicle, if I read the story correctly.
1
"Momentary" lack of judgment?! The guy's life is a monument to lack of judgment.
64
Meanwhile, in England, the former finance minister has said he 'wants Theresa May chopped up in his freezer'.
Top headline in all the papers, but he's still a free man. Running a newspaper even.
10
To clarify my earlier comment: If what you say the finance minister said is true, that is, indeed, awful. I was just pointing out that the "big difference" is that it was easier to put Shkreli in jail, because of his status of already being out on bail.
1
Shkreli is out on bail, awaiting sentencing. Big difference.
6
Did he offer to pay a bounty to anyone that would do that for him? Had he done so it would have been the same as you attempted to conflate them. As it is it's simply a morbid expression of his distaste for Theresa May.
6
Trump recognizes a kindred spirit, pardons him, and by January he is the new Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Ya never know.
21
I don't know Mr. Shkreli, but I suspect he is not psychologically well. I also do not know President Trump, yet I suspect that he is similarly not psychologically well. What is surprising is that these wealthy men aren't subject to scrutiny by the psychological/psychiatric/medical establishment which claims it has no authority to judge them in any way. Skirting responsibility Dr. Allen Frances, Editor of DSM-4, has written an entire book explaining that President Trump isn't ill, he is just evil: "Twilight of American Sanity: A Psychiatrist Analyzes the Age of Trump". We live in a dark age, where shirking responsibility has become the norm. Although there have been terrible Nazi doctors in Medicine and awful practices like lobotomy celebrated, there was a time in America when we accorded doctors a respect for their wisdom. At the moment, I'm not impressed that psychiatry is providing evidence of being a wise profession.
12
"We live in a dark age, where shirking responsibility has become the norm."
How right you are. Since the last election, I have heard Hillary blame everyone but herself (and the recent eclipse although I suspect that might make it into the next whiny interview she gives) for her improbable loss to Trump. Whatever else was wrong with her campaign - and there was plenty - ultimately, people just don't like her and she needs to take responsibility for that.
1
Wolfram,
Incorrect. She does blame herself, read her book.
4
When they start discounting at 80% instead of the initial 40%, I might just do that. No need to rush, copies will be on the shelves unsold until the end of time.
As with OJ, penalties that exceed the nature of the crime as a way of satisfying pubic opinion or making up for a perceived mistake by a previous jury is a very dangerous thing and should be resisted, no matter how repulsive the victim. Justice in America should not by influenced by opinions beyond the judge and the jury. As much of a dirt-bag as he is, Shkrell and his lawyers should appeal this sentence, and I hope they win. And I supported Clinton.
3
Thats a ridicules assessment of OJ's sentence. How many years should one get for armed robbery & kidnapping?
That's a nice soliloquy, but he hasn't been sentenced.
1
This guy sure is a piece of work. For his sake, I hope someday he learns that there are consequences for his actions. On the other hand, for my entertainment, I sort of hope that moment never comes...
5
This case screams white collar exceptionalism. We've seen many white collar criminals who have stolen more with a pen then anyone ever did with a gun and they always skip punishment. What about their victims? We need to begin sending these criminals to maximum security prisons to serve their time. Please, this guy doesn't have serious mental health problems. Other than a need for constant attention. Remember what he did to appear before a judge in the first place. But if he does need mental health services it's good to know he can get them in a federal prison.
7
The man is advocating assault and should be incarcerated for a period of time in order to silence his vocal attacks that are an immediate danger to an innocent citizen.
If he believes that his wealth and notoriety give him permission to say and act in a clearly offensive and dangerous manner, then perhaps a period in "lockup" where he can contemplate his actions and demeanor apart from any media reporting will cleanse his sense of supremacy, at least temporarily.
The judge made the right call. After he has spent time in isolation from society, perhaps he will seek the medical care, especially psychiatric, that he sorely needs.
10
If Shkreli has social media followers other than family, old friends, and reporters, then I don't know that I want to be a part of this 'society' anymore.
7
A good script line for next years Shakespeare in the park where Hilda plays the part of Julia Cesara and Mr. Shkreli plays Shrek Brutus the play closes with Shrek getting a lock of Julia Cesara hair.
2
No doubt some Trump Republicans will see this as a free speech issue. I however agree that it is "a solicitation to assault in exchange for money." No doubt some Trump Republicans will see it as a solicitation to assault a woman or as a solicitation to assault Secretary Clinton--things that do not trouble them; after all, Mr. Trump bragged about doing the same.
10
The man's arrogance and hubris, engendering a lack of self-discipline and civility, may very well be tempered in a facility where the lack of self-discipline is very much a defining characteristic and civility is not recognized as a virtue!
12
His Twitter account is permanently suspended. If he's abusing his Facebook account with his shenanigans, why hasn't Facebook suspended his account, too?
19
Some readers said they detest Shkreli but it may be draconian to jail him for a FB post he thought funny. They might be right if he didn't have the history of his antics. That is cyberbullying and he has been warned many times.
In a way, Shkreli is a sad figure. It is obvious he is brilliant in some ways but also have mental issues. But then many anti-social and psychopathic people are like that. Being eccentric is one thing; but when transgression is unprovoked, it has to be stopped. What if the FB post or tweets on Twitter were targeting average Jane and not famous people with secret service protection like Mrs Clinton? What is the recourse?
Obviously, Mr Shkreli should seek professional help; but did people feel upset when Al Capone was jailed for tax evasion?
7
It's true - some of the richest people you will ever meet are also some of the dumbest...but Shkreli has arguably blurred the line between stupidity and illness. I agree with some of the comments here that Shkreli is in need of help rather than incarceration. I don't like what he has done for even a minute - but these are not the acts of a rational person. His legal team could have requested psychiatric evaluation and Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto should have ordered it had they done so. It's not only us or Madame Secretary who needs protection from him - it's also Mr Shkreli.
25
It's pretty clear he's got mental issues, but he's a dangerous man, he has been convicted of a felony and failing to meet the conditions of his bail, he absolutely should be remanded to jail. Glad the judge stood firm.
17
I strongly disagree my friend. Shkreli's actions are rational. Machiavellian rational.
The law only goes so far as to whether or not he "understands" what he did. I don't doubt he's nuts but he certainly does understand what he did. Proof of that was his response to the judge's order. Make no mistake, this guy "knows" right from wrong but does it anyway. That's not "crazy" by "legal terms".
6
Say it ain't so, Pharma Bro! So, he's really, really going to jail. If this had been his only offense of this nature, I might agree with those that say this is too harsh. But it wasn't. Good for Judge Matsumoto.
In fact, I hope this serves as a good example for our Commander in Chief. Should he ever actually get convicted of one of his crimes, he is VERY likely to incite violence over Social Media. There should be no ambiguity on this: you threaten people with physical harm, you go to jail.
94
Oh really? I don't see George Soros going to jail for paying unemployed minorities to incite riots. Double standards, the way of life of liberals.
Uh, double standards? No. I'm not sure what you're even referring to with George Soros, but if he had called for assaulting Trump on facebook, I'd have the exact same opinion. Threaten people with physical violence, you go to jail.
I'd also suggest you take a look at your own standards. Is making insulting blanket statements about liberals supposed to be your excuse for justifying Shkreli's actions?
2
Finally, 2017 is officially better than 2016.
47
I'm glad he was imprisoned. It's about time we stop minimizing calls for assault against women (or anyone). Facebook may be used primarily for frothy purposes, but don't confuse the medium with the message. He was soliciting assault.
86
Shreki's victims were mainly people with AIDS, not mainly women.
1
Depriving Pharma Bro of internet access by putting him in jail would be a grievous human-rights violation, so I call on Honest (aka Red) Don to pardon him. In fact, I'd like to see Shkreli in the West Wing because he would bring a lot to the party there (as did The Mooch, who left after only ten days). Shkreli embodies The Brash American Spirit that will Make America Great Again! Honest Don, please hear my call!
6
Commenters below should read the entire article. The last sentence clearly states he is being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn. Last year, a federal judge called MDC Brooklyn a "Third World" prison. This ain't no Club Fed, folks.
13
Thank goodness. Well-deserved!
Maybe on track to become president some day. Unless a felony rap disqualifies him. <- This is meant as a satirical jab at the mentality of US voters.
21
Donald Trump could get away with grabbing someone's hair. He already has.
19
Judge Matsumoto's sentence was proportional. Even entitled egomaniacs need to get their just deserts. It is a shame that it does not occur often enough.
33
New York Times: "But his (Shkreli) behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing."
And so in the end Mr. Shkreli is confronted with his gravest danger: himself.
22
I wonder if he's really this socially handicapped or if it's a ploy to claim his social/mental incapacity should be cause for reduced sentencing.
13
There is an old rude expression in the German language, an insult that men used to angrily hurl at each other. The vulgar term "schweinehund", literally translates to English as Pig/Dog . Meaning that if a Pig and a dog created a living offspring, that animal would doubtlessly be a freak of nature. From what I read of Mr. Shkreli he gives all indications of being such a freak of nature. America is producing a great number of these freaks lately. Personally, I no belong to FACEBOOK and have begun to greatly lower my social exposure. I believe that FACEBOOK has lost it's moral compass, indeed if it ever had one?. For the first time in my life I have become anxious about my own country's future.
Have American's allowed themselves to become such Schweinehund's that just crass profit is our sole American purpose? Ostentation as the substitute for pride of place, human decency and self respect? I wonder how long will it take for our once nice nation to return to her once regular order?
25
This is offensive and dumb, but there's a potential exploit here.
Mr Shkreli's offer could constitute a legally binding unilateral contract. If it is, Ms Clinton could present Mr Shkreli with all of her hairs (there should be around 100,000 of them) in exchange for $500 million.
This would strip Mr Shkreli of his ill-gotten pharma gains, and if that $500 million is donated towards healthcare research, it would also be a PR coup for Ms Clinton.
33
And HRC will do just about anything for money
1
Some have commented that Shrelki may be mentally ill so he shouldn't be locked up for his intemperate comments. The jails and prisons of this country are filled with people much more mentally ill than he. He'll now be able to avail himself of the same free therapy and pharmaceuticals the other convicts get. Martin, lots of luck on the inside.
25
Shkreli is one of those few people with the power to be hated by literally anyone. This is the sort of convict who really should be made to dig ditches for a few months in order to gain some modicum of humility.
27
He want to bulk up a bit before Gladiator School.
4
Shkreli is very unpopular outside of jail; it's a cinch he'll be equally as unpopular in jail. Unless he's separated from the general population, he might be in for some jailhouse justice.
11
Let's hope that Mr. Shkreli one day needs medication or medical treatment that he cannot afford. It is very easy to hate this man.
91
He clearly needs medication, and it looks like the state will be taking care of that for a while.
5
Think of this as just starting jail early rather than a revocation of bail.
I guarantee you that his lawyers warned him to keep his mouth shut and his fingers away from a computer. He was also given a set of instructions from the court as to conditions of bail. Break any of those and be prepared for a rather annoyed judge.
In the end, he's going to jail for criminal stupidity. Normal rules of jurisprudence can't protect you from that level of dumb.
73
The man is clearly mental. He belongs into an institution, not prison. But our justice system thrives on DAs scoring cheap points.
The vengeance dripping from the comments here is sad.
We have a 'person' in the highest office of this country who advocates and incites regularly serious violence and did during the campaign. We have other politicians and officials who do as well and worse.
This act was crazy and mental, but not seriously dangerous. Chanting lock her up or some of the hate that was directed at President Obama from Repugnants in Congress was much much worse.
13
The Secret Service took the threat seriously... That cost taxpayers money. He was on bail, not an ordinary citizen.
64
Oh, how funny it is to threaten a woman's person. Just a lark. No trouble at all. Just a former first lady, secretary of state, senator, the only woman to become the presidential nominee of a major party. No biggie.
43
Ruthless profiteering and stirring up trouble for his own amusement does not make Shkreli mentally ill. It does, however, make him unfit for normal society. People like him are why prisons exist.
25
How many women who have experienced being threatened "in jest" on social media responded by laughing?
104
Women should not respond to threats by laughing. Approximately one in four of our young girls will be sexually assaulted. That is a horrible statistic.
24
I find him beyond repugnant but I still hope he gets the psychiatric help he so clearly needs--though I imagine that's not terribly likely in a federal prison.
8
Is he in a real JAIL? Or just checked-in at the barb-wire Hilton?
6
Trust me, Brooklyn's federal jail is a step above Rykers, but it's no Club Fed.
7
He is angling for a pardon?
7
God forbid the American Public learn the drugs she is taking!
3
She's a private citizen. "The American Public" has no more right to know what drugs, if any, she takes than it does to know what you or I may do in our spare time.
9
Should the American Public learn the drugs YOU are taking?
2
Hey! You can't touch that hair---she's the presi--- oh, never mind.
1
Trump isn't president either.
15
I hope Shkreli has some long, long talks with the FBI. I bet some Russian agents put him up to this, offering him $10K per hair.
7
This guy is just one of the greatest performance artists of all time. I mean, Wu-Tang puts out a single copy of an album, only one in existence, this guy buys it. Tricks a lot of people into losing all their investments and then sneakily gives them their money back and a good profit besides. Now he literally threatens a hair on Senator Clinton's head, and gets tossed in jail until his sentencing hearing. Bravo, Shkreli, you're the most entertaining felon we've had in years.
9
Sir, he raised the price of a needed drug beyond what anybody could afford. Without the drug, people will die. He is white collar murder.
23
And when Shkreli was questioned about raising this one drug
By 500%knowing that noone would be able to afford it he just
Responded with a smirk.
That's how much he cares about human life! Words can't
Express how someone could do this. This is an unconscionable
Act
4
Dear Joan Starr & Barbara Smith,
I realize that he's a terrible guy, but don't forget, you can indict most of the pharmaceutics industry on the same charge. If this drug price raising was just Shkreli, then the drug in question could have had its price dropped, right? But it hasn't been, the entire industry charges as much money as they think they can get for plenty of lifesaving drugs.
Anyway mainly I was just joking around at Shkreli's expense, I think it's great that he's going to be locked up for years, starting now, and I hope he suffers considerably.
1
Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-'I hope Trump is assassinated!” & nothing happens to her . What gives ? How does Shkreli get arrested and nothing happens to Chappele ? As Hillary would suggest the system is rigged. Do you think ?
4
Shkreli was out on bail. He had his bail revoked. Very different than getting arrested.
29
Because hoping isn't the same as asking someone to do it.
Compare:
"I hope Mr. X drops dead."
"I'll give you a million bucks to kill Mr. X."
See the difference?
9
Offering a bounty to commit an assault is very different than expressing a wish.
15
Makes a change to read some good news.
22
This man plays with humanity. Jail is perfect place for him for the time being.
30
The article reads like the judge ruled from emotion (anger). I did think it was clear that he was joking. Coworkers say worse things about each other, and certainly worse comments were made about Governor Scott Walker. Punishing him for his attitude or contempt seems to be going to far.
He certainly doesn't seem like a psychopath if you watch his interviews - just a capitalist. Other drug prices are raised to such extremes routinely.
2
You really need to follow his case. He was convicted on securities violations, nothing to do with his drug sales. You are right Pharmaceutical companies can charge what ever they want in the USA and it is not a "crime". That is why so many go to Canada, or Mexico. Any where else in the world drug cost are regulated...
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/prescription-drug-costs-aro...
15
He may have been joking, but there are crazies out there who would take his remarks as an invitation to assault a former Senator and Secretary of State, and who knows how far they would go?
Wasn't there a nut job with a gun who ran into a pizza parlor looking to free the sex slaves that were supposedly being held there? He believed an irresponsible social media post.
People in the public eye need to be more responsible in their remarks.
5
Yes, there was a nutcase who broke into a pizza parlor to "free" children alleged to be held there. I mean, really, who takes this stuff seriously? Really?
1
Trump has encouraged America to act with less class and morals than ever before in modern times. Shkreli is simply another sheep who thinks it is "cool" to be controversial for the sake of being controversial. These people have zero substance.
49
Hillary allowed the DNC to pay thugs to disrupt Trump rallies. Democrats are fomenting violence to compensate for the fact that they are losing elections.
Hillary is a greater threat to democracy, even after losing the election, than Trump will ever be,
1
This guy makes trump look like a mature adult.
16
Sorry no one could do that, it's impossible.
13
This kind of response lost whatever scintilla of wit and originality it once had, oh, about 9 months ago.
3
My first thought of course with a strand of hair is that he would obtain a DNA sample, which he would then analyze and publish, violating Ms. Clinton's privacy??
22
"But his behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing."
That is somewhat gratifying, however, I'll bet he stays in a nice hotel prison. I'd love to see him tossed in with the street people, like I would were I to make such a threat.
8
Contemptible as Shkrelli is, his lawyer is worse, arguing that offering a reward for a strand of Hillary's hair was the exercise of his client's First Amendment rights. Lawyers are sometimes their own worst enemies.
17
Mr. Brafman was doing his job by advocating for his client. He doesn't deserve to be condemned as though he were cut from the same cloth as Shkreli. Few Americans appreciate the value of a good defense attorney until the day that they, or someone that they care about, needs one.
5
Offering money to commit a crime is a crime in of itself in all states.
17
Or rather, Lawyers (like his) are sometimes our worst enemies.
6
Seriously, could he be mentally ill? Nothing he says or does seems to suggest that he knows the meaning of having a sense of humor. Stop calling him irreverent. He's not well.
12
When this guy is in prison, perhaps someone will offer $5000 for a fistful of his hair. I'm sure his fellow inmates will be more than happy to take that offer.
30
He offered $5000.00 per hair, obviously an invitation to grab a handful of Secretary Clinton's hair and pull it out. He belongs in jail. He may learn a little humility there . . .
32
For a bright guy, Mr. Shkreli isn't that smart.
21
It is unfortunate that Shkreli will be housed in a federal prison. Except for the isolation at the ADX Supermax, they are luxurious compared to many state alternatives.
There are a number of state prisons where this sorry specimen of humanity would be subject to the "treatment" he deserves.
7
Yeah, I would recommend a private prison in a "red" state. But prison will do.
1
Great, hope he stays there for a long time!
8
No fan of Shkreli - but it's hilariously ironic that he goes to jail for seeking Hillary's DNA when she directed her staff worldwide to do the same thing during her tenure as Secrectary of State.
For those that don't remember that story check it out - she wanted to collect personal data and DNA from every diplomat worldwide that US personnel were in contact with.
5
He's not going to jail for seeking her DNA. He's going to jail for his fraud conviction. He was out on bail and the judge revoked his bail. Big difference! And that's just one of many.
17
I never heard of this story of H Clinton seeking personal data and DNA from diplomats but I can think of a dozen reasons why this could life-saving and absolutely necessary in the world we live in - considering the dangers of being a diplomat in dangerous areas.
3
Link, please. Otherwise, no credibility.
1
I suggest he realize that he's not the smartest person in the U.S. Forty years ago that was a new idea.
5
Smartest guy in the room now smartest guy in lockup? Perhaps he will meet a few future pharmaceutical customers.
7
I still cannot believe that President Trump has not given this guy a cabinet position. Baffling.
18
See he should have offered Trump $5000 to do the do.
1
Great article.
Sarcasm is truth!
Power is unity.
Shouting is reason!
Mob is key.
Anyways, does anyone want to grab a beer and wait until true journalism shows up? Don't hold your breath though. I guaranteed you'll be hammered, but still more sober than this country and its sheep! CHEERS.
2
It's time for a new attorney who recognizes the obsessive need to be a provocateur is a form of mental illness. Either that, or he is auditioning in public to be a host on talk radio.
9
"His behavior changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him, and he sat quietly at the defense table for the rest of the hearing". Before this he was animated throughout his trial.
As a super rich white male with top of the line lawyers he never really considered jail to be in his future. He assumed his privilege was his shield.
The boys in the big house are going to sort out him out and this man really really deserves whatever he gets in there.
25
Another example of men minimizing a call to assault a woman. Mr Shkreli and his lawyer think that by adding an "LOL" or "explaining" how this particular brand of assault is different than all others in history.
Gathering DNA from another person, aggressively extracting hairs with follicles on them, can only be sought for nefarious reasons. To suggest Hillary Clinton, or any woman, would sit while someone got just the perfect specimen (conjures the image of the aggressor as primate engaged in grooming behavior) is abhorrent.
Judge Matsumoto, a woman of power and dignity, brought him up short and silenced him.
705
Kathy, I wish I could recommend your comment 10,000 times. A very rich man puts a bounty on a woman's head -- literally -- and some people think _he's_ the one being persecuted?
3
Exactly. Frightening that so many commenters here are attempting to play down a solicitation to commit assault for pay. Just as men tend to try to trivialize or dismiss violence and especially sexual violence against women.
2
It's the same lawyer who defended Dominique Strauss-Kahn, once on the verge of becoming president of France - until he arrived at the Sofitel in New York City.
2
Dear prosecutors: THANK YOU.
Best use of my tax dollars EVER.
15
This was a laugh I very much needed in this day and age. JUSTICE.
4
Infamy has become as valuable as fame, a form of it in fact. It's certainly a commodity. Trump, Shkreli, Coulter, Beck, Limbaugh and the rest grow wealthy and powerful through this kind of posturing. For every one that goes to jail (not many), many others prosper in the extreme.
It's a cancer on society, and now occupying the oval office
20
So far, it certainly hasn't worked in Shreki's favor.
1
Perhaps the judge is a bit more cautious because there has been a change in the general atmosphere, with permission given by Trump to engage in violence. Trump hasn't bothered with dog whistles. He's made it plain that is great for cops to rough suspects, and for hooligans in his adoring audiences to get rough with protestors. Tbere is an ecology of ideas, after all, and when Trump makes it plain that violence--as long as it benefits Trump--is okay, a legitimate behavior, then that legitimation spreads. (It is hardly an accident that there has been a significant increase in hate crimes in 1917 vs. 1916 in Seattle. And that, I suggest, is one substantive reason why the judge did what he did.
12
The increase in hate crimes is a direct result of the despair of Democrats that they lost the election. Antifa and BLM are out in full force suppressing free speech and threatening the police. The thugs hired by the DNC to threaten Trump supporters were ineffective in frightening them, so the thuggish behavior on the part of the losers has accelerated.
1
Whatever gets him there is just fine by me.
Hoping his sentence will keep him there much longer.
7
I think that whatever prison sentence he receives should be multiplied by by "5,000 percent."
12
Hillary should be able to personally take him up on the offer - clean her hairbrush, send 100 strands of hair (he did offer per hair), and donate the $500,000 to the charity she likes that Shkreli finds the least palatable.
If he doesn't agree to that then how can he even argue that he was not offering to finance an attack on her?
342
It was suggested assault, plain and simple. And maybe some nut who loves him will attempt it, anyway. This is the way women are perpetually victimized.
1
Great idea! That'd equal one pre-election Wall Street speech.
Exactly what I was thinking and posted later than you.
So he lost his freedom by a hair's breadth.
44
Time for a LONG time-out, Mr. Shkreli.
51
Hair of the dog?
6
Remember when America was not a dystopian playground for the extremely wealthy and conservative?
182
Nope. It's pretty much been that way since the 1700's, in varying degrees.
4
Shkeli is a Hillary donor. That hardly makes him a conservative. Strange that the fact is not mentioned in the article. It is hilarious.
2
No, I don't.
I suspect this was between the 1930s and 1970s, but I wasn't born yet, or was too young.
Since St. Reagan it's all been downhill with wealth inequality increasing.
1
A pity that someone so intelligent can also be so morally challenged. It is even a greater pity that this poor excuse for a man will probably go to his death completely unaware of his shortcomings. Very sad, very sad.
35
Daily we are treated to a president with behavior on display that makes Shkreli's actions as a private business jerk pale in comparison.
Donald Trump was allowed to send out an open call for "a 2nd Amendment solution - I don't know . . ." for "Crooked Hillary Clinton," and his mobs of bigoted despicables were cranked up into chants of "hang her" and worse.
In addition Trump and his thugs penned up reporters like prisoners, exhorting his crowds to abuse them, and assault protesters with violence.
Too bad Judge Matsumoto never had the Trumpster in her court! Maybe someday if Attorney General Schneiderman gets his way, we can arrange that.
10
Shkreli deserve to be put in the pokey, thus unwise action did the job of getting him there sooner.
16
It's about time.
18
It seems Mr. Shkreli is attempting some "Voodoo Economics."
16
Shkreli's previous machinations with drug prices merits a slap on the hand - now for the encouragement of assaulting a public figure to procure a lock of hair, he is incarcerated. The first offense amounts to highway robbery and the second to a threat of terrorism - he should be jailed for a lengthy term on both counts.
35
In response to David Score - . . . By which standard our traitorous president likely qualifies for the maximum penalty for treason, since Flynn certainly seemed to give up our FSB intelligence sources to the Russian government as soon as Trump got his first real intelligence briefing. And, I don't disagree at all that Shkreli is getting exactly what he deserves. But, Trump's comeuppance is long overdue.
9
While I disagree strenuously with your comment about only deserving a slap on the hand and his highway robbery of hiking drug prices, David, I do agree with his going to prison, not just jail. In a REAL, repeat one though.....not a semi-country club for million/billionaires. And in the general population too....and the guards should just forget that he's there.
5
He is going to prison for fraud, his bail was revoked because of solicitation.
I think the Germans invented Schadenfreude in anticipation of Shkreli's rise to infamy.
Very intelligent young man with very serious issues.
21
I do not understand, why this notion came into being there is no english expression for schadenfreude. It is "glee" and I've noticed it as much in Americans as in Germans; and I would bet many other nationalities and cultures are not immune to it either.
It's not "glee", which would include tobogganing. It's taking positive pleasure from another's suffering.
2
Just a basic question: Why on earth is this criminal not being actually sentenced until more than four months after his conviction?
32
I hope it's to make him squirm. Now that the judge has revoked his bail, he can sit and wonder if same judge will give him 20 years or only 2. I would bet on way more than 2.
I bet he targeted Clinton because he's showing allegiance for a future Trump pardon. This is right up Trump's alley.
30
It's fine that you don't like Trump, but no it's actually not 'right up his alley'.
http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-martin-shkreli-daraprim-drug...
2
The question is how much of the action from Shkreli's stock plays did he share with the Don or Jared? If he didn't pay to play no pardon's on the horizon from Trump, unless of course, Shkreli's Putin's secret love child.
3
Mr. Shkreli is learning, as so many others have before, that Karma is a tough taskmistress. He had better hope that none of his cellmates have the disease whose medication's cost he increased by 2,000%.
36
He keeps crying --even screaming--for help.
Too bad he has to hurt himself and so many others until he finally finds it.
A good person is there somewhere in the debris, twisted like a pretzel.
3
Thank you for your analysis but some people are just bad to the bone.
15
No there isn't. He seems a pretty hard core sociopath.
19
He will likely be in segregation cells for his protection. That boy's dance card will be full if he's let into the general population or he will be paying protection money.
18
You paint a dearly held vision in my head, Charlie. The icing on the cake would be for his "dance card" to be continually "full" but him NOT having any access to pay anyone off :-)
3
The bottom line here is that Mr. Shkreli is being jailed for four months for suggesting that someone pull someone else's hair. Not even for pulling hair; just for suggesting it.
Everyone seems to be in favor of excessive punishment until it is they who are being excessively punished. I’m sure they will change their tune if/when their kid is sent to juvy for four months for pulling some other kid’s hair at school.
I'm no fan of Mr Shkreli; in fact I’m disgusted by some of his actions and comments. But let's keep things in perspective here.
Too many commenters here are calling for Mr Shkreli's head based on his obnoxious behavior and attitude, rather than appropriate punishment for his actual crimes. Some quotes from commenters:
"He needs to pay a price for his contemptibility."
"This guy is a clown and the judge is to be commended for shutting down the circus."
"This wretched little monster is finally where he belongs. Good riddance to him..."
“It is not against the law to be a psychopath. …Now, the fact that he is a psychopath can be taken into full account. Throw the book at him.”
“A substantial time out could do this child some good.”
“I sincerely hope that the judge who sentences Martin Shkreili in January will take his threat into account when she sentences him.”
With attitudes like this, perhaps we deserve the Orwellian government we now have.
11
He didn't just suggest it, he offered $5000 for an HRC hair "with follicle". I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know if to what extent that would be actionable against just anyone under any circumstances, but when you are free on $5 million bail and you make such an offer against someone under Secret Service protection...what, should there be no consequences to that?
12
You mistake what's actually happening here. He's not being jailed after being tried and convicted for the crime of inciting people to assault Hillary Clinton. He's merely had his bail revoked while awaiting sentencing for his fraud conviction. Bail is a privilege our system offers convicted criminals under certain conditions, but the bar for a judge to revoke that privilege is much lower than the bar for a fresh conviction and sentence pertaining to the hair pulling. My children's and your children's civil liberties are not in danger here.
12
Really?! Orwellian?? I would accept incompetent and lacking morality and integrity in the case of Trump administration.
4
Boy his parents must be proud! They really need to enlighten the rest of us as to how you raise a weasel! This guy is despicable, we should be examining his background and figuing out how this creature is created. Also, while we're at it, let's look at the guy beside him with the striped tie.
33
Actually, America raised him.
5
He is scary.
Created his own brand of craziness without any sense on potential impacts to others.
In jail he needs to be put in isolation. Without an audience he is nothing.
55
Take a good look at him. I want him in there with the really bad guys . . .
12
Ah, but is he crazy enough to be the next POTUS? That seems to be the litmus test these days.
"You say you're cruel and crazy and like to bully? But where are you on the Trump scale?"
5
No solitary. No "Club Fed."
Throw him in with the general population.
1
Well.....this seems less serious than singers or reality stars holding up severed heads or saying they have been seriously considering blowing up the White House....Clearly this was satire and also bad judgement.
That said - his other actions with the pharmaceutical company should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
2
No, not less serious.
8
Those singers and reality stars aren't already on bail.
23
In what way could Shkreli's solicitation be perceived as satire? What about it is satirical?
9
"I wonder what makes a guy like that tick," Is what my old paw would have said. I don't think there is an answer though.
22
This is an example of where we are right now. With people continuing to shout, "Lock her up!" at rallies, with a then-candidate urging supporters to "get 'em out of here!" in reference to protestors, should we be taking the chance that absolutely no one would try this stunt?
40
Shkreli/Madoff 2020!
It would be refreshing to have leaders who actually paid their debt to society rather than those who avoided prosecution.
7
Seditiously deliciously funny!
1
You try to find a way to show sympathy for this man - several months ago we were suddenly told that poor HIV patients had to come up with staggering amount of money for a life saving drug which costed pennies until than - in fact is widely available in the rest of the world too for pennies. We are told that he engineered that change. It was legal so there is nothing we could do. But he then went on social medial and mocked people - that he did not seem to care that people might die with his actions. He was asked to make exemptions and he mocked more. Fate finally caught up with him today. Fortunately for the patients there is good in the world. A small pharmacy provided this drug in small quantities, but enough, at a very reasonable price. Lives were saved. I hope he shows remorse and changes his ways.
32
I do too, but I suspect remorse is not something this psychopath is capable of.
2
I predict after jail, Shkreli will go on to become a reality star and then run for President as a populist candidate in 2028. White blue collar voters will feel impressed with how honest he appears despite lying through his teeth with every sentence, and elect him over a vastly more qualified and more competent Democratic candidate.
242
I doubt he'll survive prison.
1
Thus young Mr. Shkreli, with all his supposed intelligence and sophistication, broke one of the most basic laws of our society (assault) and is going to jail to keep the rest of us safe.
32
For those who have commented here that Mr Shkrieli was only being satrical, I would like to ask you what is humerous about asking a bounty for a piece of another person's body? You are assuming, surprisingly so, that all of the people reading his comments are intelligent enough to discern this. Or is it even intelligence? Reasonable? This is not satire and you know it.
193
About 65 years ago I read somewhere that lawyers were for criminals, now I do not think so, but his lawyer said his behaviour show immaturity, satire, a warped sense of humour and I may add complete absence of decency (increasing the price of a medication more than 5000%) around here the cost I think is less than 2USD, and also Mr Shkreli it is said in the article "was animated for much of the hearing as he has been throughtout his trail, but his behaviour changed when Judge Matsumoto said that she had decided to jail him and immediately he sat quietly for the rest of the hearing. What does it tell you?. That he is stupid, immature, humorous, no Sir, it something else. Good for the Judge Matsumoto. In jail maybe he will learn one thing or two.
16
Sigh. DG, satire and "humorous" are not the same things at all. Satire pokes at the norms and conventions of society to get at the underlying truth of that society and what drives those norms. Humor is what a stand up comic does or what sit-coms do. Yes, some satire will make people laugh but that is not in any way the goal of satire.
I had this idea years ago. Clone a famous hair and start a non profit for the cryogenic preservation of said person. Direct mail fund raising. Spend 99% of the money on staff salaries, mostly mine, while waiting for the technology to develop. Better late than never Marty.
6
If he's a friend of the Donald, he might rate a pardon. Sheriff Joe did.
45
Maybe if he convinced Trump he had the Ritz-Carlton water boarding romp on video.
4
In an age of Trump madness, the news culture, the culture itself, everything slips from its traditional moorings. Anyone for a return to normalcy?
22
You would think a person about to be sentenced by a Judge who can exercise discretion in how the sentence is imposed would realize beforehand that even an impulsive "satirical" invitation to physical assault is bad judgment.
Was he serious? Many a truth is spoken "in jest" and he did not qualify it as jest until later when the heat turned up. So, the "jester" can ponder this judgment for awhile despite commentators who say, "Oh, come on" about throwing him in jail. Would they want this jester asking people to tug on President Trump's hair, or even their hair, and willing to pay by the the strand?
116
Oh, the irony. This gentleman obviously needs some pharmaceuticals.
65
Sounds like he's had too many already. Lol
11
I don't think there's a pharmacopoeia for psychopathy or other personality disorders.
7
These disguised threats won't bode well for him during the many parole hearings to come
29
Sounds like it's time for a Pardon.
5
Way to go, Martin! Now that's more than your leg pulling!!
5
Leg pulling indeed. SO much for his attempts to be humerus..................
3
Tatsujiro: The humerus is in the arm.
4
"Momentary lapse in judgment?" That's code for an attorney trying to minimize the fact that their client has Narcissistic Personality Disorder - which in this case is absolutely true. And no,the Goldwater rule doesn't apply to a private individual running for Most Offensive/Criminal Executive of the Month - Shrekli is as schrecklich as they come :-(
62
I liked this movie better when it was called "Taxi Driver" and the anti-hero was trying to save Jodie Foster.
16
I am not a fan of the Phrma bro but think keeping him in jail till sentencing is extreme. Put him in jail for 10 days and perhaps consider this posting at the time of sentencing.
14
The whole concept of bail is to keep you out pending sentence. In his typical juvenile fashion, he blew his chance to stay out of jail. Maybe now he will get the attitude adjustment he sorely needs. He might as well get comfortable -- he's going to be there a while.
55
@jerry: And if it were a female relative of yours that he'd made the offer about, would you be happy about that? Would your female relative have a right to be worried? Would you be telling your female relative not to worry?
Shkreli is delusional, and probably so are some of those who "follow" him online. What he said is quite similar to Trump exhorting his followers to beat people up, saying "I'll pay your legal fees." Not acceptable in either circumstance.
33
No it is not too much punishment, it is not too extreme. He is where he is because he has no respect for the law nor the norm. It's time for follow through.
13
Ridiculous. We're really becoming like Salem, MA in the puritan era. Why don't we just rentroduce stockades? It was a weird thing to say, granted, but jailed? Come on. Things are just going too far on all fronts in regard to what one can and cannot say. University professors fired right and left. Truly egregious and out of control.
5
What? This makes little sense! Where do university professors come into this. HE is advocating physical assault!
32
@Jeanne: I agree that Shkreli is truly egregious and out of control!
And I'd be happy to see him in stockades in a public area - it would amuse me at least as much as threatening Hillary Clinton seems to amuse him. But maybe you don't think his threatening of Mrs. Clinton should be an offense?
20
Shkreli seems to some sort of invincible-complex. There is no way to obtain a hair follicle from a person, without their consent, without pulling out their hair. An assault. The judge got it right.
160
Ummm...how about a hair brush?
I have to expect that Shkreli will need to be placed in solitary confinement for his own protection, since I'm sure there are lots of people who would claim 'cred' for taking care of America's Number One Jerk (sorry Trump). Of course it could be argued that making Shkreli spend time with only himself as company violates the Eighth Amendment... but on balance, it seems like karma to me. Shkreli might just learn that what goes around really does come around. I hope he survives the education, in some form.
19
Solitary confinement, like the death penalty, has no place in a civilized nation's penal system. There must be another way to protect a prisoner in danger of being harmed by other prisoners.
1
This poor excuse for a human being deserves prison. But not for anything he has been convicted of. He has threatened, held hostage and assaulted the American public by making common drugs unaffordable. That SHOULD be a crime.
69
Soon the Shrek will have more friends with offers than he needs and will be paying money to keep them all from offering bits of the SHEK for sale. Welcome to the world.
13
He is an impulsive, angry young man. Time in prison may make him reflect on his childish behavior that led to this outcome. Or it may stoke his anger further.
10
Not much good news these days, so we have to take whatever comes. This wretched little monster is finally where he belongs. Good riddance to him, whether his incarceration lasts 20 years or until he smarts off at another prisoner, whichever comes first.
34
I wonder what type of jail Martin Shkreli was sent to, and was he allowed to bring his tech with him with the sudden courtroom decision. Not being allowed to livestream his every random thought from his jail cell will be the worst punishment ever for this guy - worse than actually being in jail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/business/dealbook/martin-shkreli-guil...
"During his postverdict live-stream, Mr. Shkreli, sipping from a bottle of India pale ale, speculated that his sentence would be “close to nil” and said that he was not anticipating spending time in a maximum security facility, adding “this is not ‘Oz’ or ‘The Wire.’ Rather, he said, he imagined serving in what he termed “Club Fed,” playing basketball, tennis and Xbox, and resurfacing “back out on these streets very quickly."
"Just before his conviction, prosecutors wrote, Mr. Shkreli had made a sexual threat toward a female journalist; since then, they wrote, “Shkreli has engaged in an escalating pattern of threats and harassment ."
P.S. He also bought several web domains associated with names of journalists who had written about his trial, created customized websites mocking them, and then offered to "allow" them to buy the domain names back - for thousands of dollars. So the judge obviously saw the Hillary Clinton threat was the tip of the iceberg with this person who is making a mockery of being out on bail.
85
Maybe Shrekli will be taken out by someone with a sharpened lunch tray and NY will be spared the cost of sentencing him and maintaining him in prison.
4
Thanks for the info. The man should be declared a threat to himself and others and in a mental institution.
5
Facebook is good for one thing and one thing alone... getting you into major trouble. I'm out
15
The timing is excellent. Send Shkreli to a camp run by Joe Arpaio.
15
Perhaps he's auditioning for a spot in Mr. Trump's cabinet.
19
It is not against the law to be a psychopath.
But the awesome-sauce is that he *has* broken the law. Now, the fact that he is a psychopath can be taken into full account.
Throw the book at him.
25
Maybe jail will finally remove Mr Shkreli's smirking expression?
20
Nah, but when the drug that does comes out, he should be first in line for clinical trials.
2
Rumor has it inmates at Riker's are offering a pack of cigarettes for a strand of Shkreli's hair.
164
Well, since this is a matter in a Federal court, I think he won't go to Rikers but to the Federal lockup in Brooklyn. A better class of fellow inmates, no doubt, so his hair and body are probably safe. They can all trade stock tips together!
4
I hope the writers for "Law & Order" read your comment, Bob. I can envision it being worked into a story line.
3
what about trump and his family looking to the second amendment people in the crowd to do something about Hillary ?
what about trump telling his crowd to knock the ... c-rap out of the hecklers ..
and his offer to pay the legal fees for the criminal/violent actions ?
339
Excellent questions. Just because someone tells so many lies that it's easy to lose count doesn't mean he should reap financial gain from it. (Or become the President of the United States.)
It appears he really is the narcissistic, misogynistic sociopath everyone considers him to be. In this case he won't get his hands on the Presidency - unlike another narcissistic, misogynistic sociopath we all know.
55
I do not think he is any of what is said, he knows exactly what he is doing, see the obvious change after the Judge Matsumoto said he will be sent to jail. A sociopath does not learn by experience, so he has already started learning before being jailed. And it will be until his final sentence. We all will know later on.
2
Not sure where you get your definition of sociopath from. This is the correct one - a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience. It says nothing about "not learning by experience." In reality sociopaths learn from experience when they get the desired negative results, they'll do even more of it. When they don't, they adapt. Shkreli is a classic sociopath.
3
isn't this privileged wannabe frat-bro a wholly predictable product of our dreadful culture's self-centered ethos? given how vapid and intellectually bankrupt we've become, given our historical vulnerability to self-aggrandizing charlatans, no one with a pulse would argue that skreli is what we've become. how dreadful.
53
Wonderfully expressed. Thank you.
12
@mark: I think Shkreli is the product of parents who didn't smack him upside the head nearly often enough. They should have wiped the smirk off his face decades ago.
15
When someone says "I'm joking" it usually means they are NOT, or at least, they know their words or actions are harmful. Same as when anyone uses a preface like "I hate to insult you but...", I hate to interrupt you but ..., I hate to waste your time but..., I hate to sound stupid but.... .... and the preface is always the warning of exactly the behavior being disclaimed.
54
Glad that smarmy boy is getting his comeuppance. But why him when Trump rants "lock her up" and then intimates that she's a fine target but for the second amendment's ability to confer self defense. Pleeeez - let's go after the head of this stinky enabling fish already.
212
Skhreli is the logical conclusion of what happens to a liberal hater, and also my number 1 person to be sent to jail. He seriously deserves jail time and hopefully that will educate him and he will learn something valuable.
14
Ruthless price-gouger, convicted of securities fraud, harasses women, encourages an assault on Hillary, and an all-around smug, shameless, and obnoxious psychopath. In short, a perfect fit for the Trump administration.
63
This guy has no redeeming qualities. A disgrace to homo sapiens.
34
Seriously, this boy-child needs professional help.
Also, segregation from sane society.
I wonder how his reception at Riker's will go...
Regards,
JV
12
If the term "frat bro" ever earns a place in Webster's Dictionary (n. an American man suffering from an overdose of aggressive masculinity, heartless capitalism, and crass entitlement), Shkreli's photo may well accompany the definition.
23
I'm suffering from Shkradenfreude.
42
Clever play on words! I'm experiencing schadenfreude too, but rejoicing in it, not suffering at all. As the mother of a child who had a life threatening illness and required very expensive medication, I have long regarded Shkreli as the lowest of the low. He is surely a psychopath, and his smug arrogance is despicable. He represents the very worst of us. LOCK HIM UP!
An inane bully publicly calls for a swipe at Hillary Clinton, then later says he was just joking. This sounds much like our bully-in-chief's call on camera during the 2016 presidential campaign for Russia to make Clinton's emails public. That Shkreli has engaged in an escalating pattern of threats and harassment echoes the harassment, threats, and ill-informed decisions of the fenced-in White House occupant with the continuing Russia revelations. If only a federal judge could protect us from the dangers posed by this leech...
46
While the society failed to teach Mr. Shkreli, may be his fellow prisoners will succeed.
27
Given this, plus the revelations about the piggish behavior of the heads of Uber and SoFi, this particular generation of Masters of the Universe is particularly disgusting.
33
I think there is a good case to be made that Martin Shkreli is mentally ill - or possibly on the spectrum. Not sure jail is the right place for him, but he clearly needs some serious help.
11
Brafman is probably happy. He must be tired of a client who is constantly his own worst enemy.
13
The judge and prosecutors fear voodoo!
2
He should be in jail for fraud but this hair issue is nothing, not a crime. Once a hair falls out it can be anybody's who picks it up. Unfortunately it is not a crime to have it analyzed either, such is our poor state of privacy in Amerika. I would have sent him one of mine and collected the money. Without a base knowledge for comparison he would not know the difference. Just put this creep in jail for fraud.
8
Experian would have tested it already and told him that it was your hair.
2
Thankfully Mrs. Clinton has a Secret Service detail. Now we'll be waiting for the copycats to try to achieve their 15 minutes of fame, or infamy.
11
How awkward!
So in our current bizarro world,all-ready-in-trouble Pharma Bro,gets instant jail time for an unsettling social media post, of which I'm certain more than a couple of people might have considered for that monetary offer.(Money talks!And in this day & age, "everyone" wants money and fame at whatever cost) I digress.
No hesitation jail time for Shkreli,but a man with a band of clueless, irresponsible and complicit crew leads the world's most powerful country...well,what was.
8
If Mr. Shkreli had offered a bounty for the hair of President Trump, we would hear crickets. He's lucky to only get jail, seeing as folks who cross the Clinton's normally die of suicide, with several "self-inflicted" shots to the back of the head.
I don't think that that orange stuff is naturally occurring hair. Best not to get to close, I think that it is toxic.
9
This is like when mafia bosses, who have extorted, murdered, and engaged in all kinds of criminal activities, are prosecuted for racketeering and tax evasion. Couldn't happen to a more deserving and despicable guy than Shkreli. He really is a menace to society. Lock him up--please!
23
No, this is not funny. Thank you, Judge Matsumoto.
34
Mr. Shkreli had made a sexual threat toward a female journalist
what was the threat?
2
Martin is the poster boy for all our current ills.
10
Seems tame compared to Trump.
8
President Trump needs to pardon him and appoint him to the Supreme Court. (This is not satire, this is sarcasm)
9
Unfortunately, considering who our country is being led by currently, this man might become president some day.
11
I can't quite pin down why, but he reminds me of Donald Trump.
29
The noxious mix of narcisstic personality disorder, sexism, and wealth/power?
1
It might take less than a night or two behind bars it will take to wipe the smirk of Shkreli's face. Bullies like him crumble very quickly when not shielded by a sense of entitlement.
29
It's too bad he's going to prison for a federal crime, and will do his time in the relatively safe environment of a federal prison - uncomfortable, certainly, but generally safe. A state charge would land him on Riker's Island - THAT would be justice...
11
Just getting home from dinner after a long working day, this is delightful news. However: the young sociopath would better be locked up for a long time in a closed psychiatric ward at his own, rather than in a jail at our tax payers', expenses. This specimen is so unhinged that a cure is impossible. He may enter the history books, though. Of clinical psychiatry.
12
Shkreli is a signpost for the Trump era. Both men will forever epitomize the toxic brew of whiteness, masculinity and entitlement that constitutes the "frat bro" culture.
33
"Mr. Shkreli was scheduled to be sentenced in January. He most likely will not be released before then..." Good on this court. A substantial time out could do this child some good. And please don't let him buy his way out of it. Send him to the kind of facility populated by less-well-heeled criminals -- not the kind of summer camp or country club usually reserved for "punishing" the super rich!
16
"Hi Martin, I'm your new cellmate. Do you feel lucky today? "
5
Shkreli straddles the fine line between "clearly someone with a significant personality disorder" and "clearly someone with a significant personality disorder."
15
Strikes me that the Mr. Shkreli may have had a viable insanity defense, on the basis that he was both incapable of assisting in his own defense and was unable to understand the nature charges against him. Arguably he waived both by not raising those at trial.
But this may be the start of a foundation of a cynical claimof ineffective assistance of counsel at trial in a post conviction action, based upon his counsels' failure to rise that kind of defense at trial in the face of such obvious bizzare behavior demonstrated by Mr. Shkreli over the course of so many years. or
1
Does he lose his bail money? I hope it goes to low income families for prescription drug coverage.
13
I take back everything bad I've ever felt negatively toward Facebook. It really is a godsend if it can bring justice to a place where it exists in name only.
2
In a age of Trump madness, the news culture, the culture itself, everything slips from its traditional moorings. Anyone for a return to normalcy?
9
When my disgust turns to rage reading about individuals like Shkreli, my faith in humanity is restored when I read of the magnanimous and compassionate stories of neighbor helping neighbor in the hurricane ravaged areas of the South. All is not lost.
18
It's so hard to imagine where Shkreli gets such outrageous ideas! And then he decides he can actually give voice to them and not suffer any consequences. Mind boggling! But I cannot, for the life of me, fathom where that comes from ...
10
Shkreli seems like a more arrogant version of Jared Kushner. They both may be headed for the same fate.
And Facebook should be subjected to the same ethical and journalistic standards as legitimate news organizations like the NYT, Wapo and WSJ. After all, it's where 44% of us get our news.
52
NYT, Wapo and WSJ self-enforce their ethical and journalism standards, and shift them on occasion if necessary. Facebook is preparing to be the primary propaganda tool for its founder's 2020 presidential run, so don't expect any sort of "ethics" or "journalism."
6
Those of us who poke fun (or take jabs) at liberals, conservatives and in-betweens on FaceBook and other sites have been asking for a "sarcasm font" for years. Whether Mr Shkreli was being sarcastic or not is left to individual interpretation, which gives everyone a lot of leeway...after all, he didn't ask for her head...
5
Oh, you can cut Shkreli all the slack you want but he has displayed zero humor that's anything but as despicable as he is. He insults the lawyers, the regulators, the judges, the jury. He's made himself so thoroughly unlikable there's very little sympathy for him nor any slack being cut for him. I'll just be happy when we don't have to see his sneer or hear him again for a good while. Wonder what makes him so terribly disagreeable.
18
Very witty. He asked for an assault. He has threatened a journalist. He has been convicted of crimes. A 'satire font' would not make offering to pay money for an assault any more humorous.
28
I really hate to have to say this, but given our current trajectory, this man is building a resume to be our next president with his antics and his legion of cynical sycophantic followers. Thank you Judge Matsumoto.
196
Happy holidays, Martin.
39
I realize as good liberals we're supposed to hate this man for the pricing actions he took but I would caution liberals in celebrating his probable prison sentence because in doing so they might be overlooking the exact governmental abuse of power that they often rightly criticize. I will admit to not following his "fraud" case that closely but when a suspect is acquitted in 5 of 8 federal counts it raises eyebrows on whether or not the case should have ever been brought forward and whether or not the justice department is using its awesome power to take down a man because they don't like his business actions. I won't pretend to be able to articulate this any better than Robert Reich did when he said, "what Shkreli did wrong was to be more audacious while "play[ing] the same game many others are playing on Wall Street and in corporate suites". We know then federal government can indict and convict a ham sandwich; let's not let our glee blind to what may have been one of those situations.
5
I'm going to trust the jury on this one. They heard all the facts. Clearly they did not take everything the government said at face value: as you point out, he was acquitted on five of eight charges. So they must have felt he was guilty on the rest beyond a reasonable doubt.
23
You really should apprise yourself of his fraud case. The number of guilties doesn't make them small nor negate the fact he committed crimes, intentionally.
24
He *was* convicted on 3 counts. By a jury. That makes him a criminal. We liberals, as with most conservatives, hate criminals, whether they be Assata Shakur or Tom Delay, Bill Ayers or Tim McVeigh, Suge Knight or Martha Stewart.
13
True to form, Mr. Shkreli has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. Flippancy, irreverence, and sarcasm as a way of life may serve his purposes but they leave everyone else decidedly unimpressed. An absurd bounty on a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair was something even his lawyers could not successfully explain away. His buffoonery has become a sad tragedy and his audience, what there was of it, has long since stopped laughing.
548
Shkreli has become tiresome.
4
Unfortunately these days there are some crazies who might be open to Shkreli's disgusting ideas for jokes. I think the judge behaved prudently by removing his big mouth from normal behaving people in society.
9
Don't count on it; his audience tends to be as immature, irrational and entitled as Skreli.
2
Jail is a good place for him. Ten to fifteen should teach him a little humility.
39
@me - I'm not sure that Shkreli is teachable. He's adept at manipulation, has a lot of money, appears to not have any moral compass, so he may navigate prison to his advantage but I don't think he'll change at all.
Shkreli is a perfect example of how the left likes to punish people, especially when they are cis white males, for not being humble enough. I have no great love for the man but this is another case where there are so many comments from people who want him in jail for just being a jerk and they know nothing about the details of the actual criminal charges against him. I think he should have gotten a warning about the hair. I would not call that a threat to public safety but since it could provoke someone into grabbing hair while it is on her head he deserved a reprimand.
6
You think it's the left alone who are cheering his going to prison, where he's going anyway, a couple of months early? Really. He's despicable in anybody's book and nobody on the left encouraged him to commit real crimes. Most of us have acquainted ourselves with what the accusations were and the ones for which he was convicted.
14
Martin Shkreli was convicted on three counts of securities fraud. He's in jail because he broke the law, not because someone "thinks he's a jerk." His encouragement for someone to assault Clinton walks a fine line on incitement law. Perhaps the person who needs to become more educated on the criminal charges against him is you.
20
If you learned that the stranger who yanked off some of YOUR hair had been paid $5000 to obtain it, would you be satisfied with a 'reprimand' for the buyer of YOUR hair?
19
Shkreli believes both his conviction and sentencing were farces. He thinks that his prevelidged status puts him above the law. Society must demonstrate to him that civil norms and federal law means something. Thus the Bureau of Prisons, when reviewing the Shkreli case, should make sure that he deserves to experience the same accommodations reserved for some of the nation's most heinous criminals, like Leavenworth. Or as Martin Shkreli would say over one of his favorite beaverages, just another gated community.
26
Shkreli is headed to prison not for his violation of civil norms, except awaiting his sentencing in prison so he doesn't cause someone to be injured at his invitation, but because he committed real crimes and was convicted. Nothing personal, Martin. Tata.
14
The boy just cannot help himself, can he?
25
Reminds me of someone else we all know. Likes to bully and thinks he can do it because he is famous.
17
He is expressly what jails were made for.
53
Hasn't this poor woman suffered enough Martin!
First she was a 98% winner of the election and Nate Silver said she might landslide the Senate & House and now, you want a lock from America's Golden Girl!
Shame!
Can we all just pay respect and homage on her book tour and just pray that HRC makes a huge comeback in 2020 and finally beats Donald Trump!
First she had the Russians, then Comey, well read the book! We can't let our next President feel threatened by some crazed predator.
If in her next haircut, she saves those golden locks, I hope to bid on a small tuff so we can build the Clinton Foundation War Chest for 2020!
God Bless America and protect Hillary!
11
He should have gone for Mrs. Trump's hair instead. Then, everyone, including Trump voters, would be upset and think it untoward. It's ok for Donald to grab women, so I guess Marti thought he'd be ok going after Mrs. Clinton, since she is clearly not married to Mr. Trump?
8
Looking forward to this guy going to jail and us never having to hear about him again.
105
Personally, I think this guy is hilarious.
3
I can't stand Shkreli but this effort to revoke his bail is pure persecution. Clinton has the personal protection of the Secret Service, that heavily armed organization that considers all Americans as the enemy in its dedicated effort to serve and protect those elite few whose lives are regarded as having more value than the lives of all the rest of us. Surely, even if Skreli's offer of a bounty for a single hair were sincere, it poses no substantial risk to her highness, Hillary.
65
And if he put out a bounty for the hair of the female journalist he threatened, who does not have Secret Service protection, should his bail have been revoked then? People should not be punished for threats against women who have some protection? Why not? A threat -- or bounty is the crime, not its accomplishment.
33
Can you imagine the uproar if he had wanted a lock of Trumps or Ivanka's hair. What hypocrisy.
29
Remember your words the next time someone goes after Donald. They better leave his"hair" alone else the whole coiffure comes off all at once.
21
I sincerely hope that the judge who sentences Martin Shkreili in January will take his threat into account when she sentences him.
230
I hope not, because the judge may sentence him ONLY for the crimes for which he was convicted. I want the sentence to stand,
5
I get your point. I also don't want a sentence that can be easily thrown out on appeal.
2
Shkreli proves that some people are irredeemable.
177
This guy is his own worst enemy.
You think he's trying to make himself look psychologically impaired to get a lighter sentence?
7
Seems more like he really is psychologically impaired and can't help himself.
9
Mr Shkreli is seemingly mentally ill. But let's not rule out that he's an agent, conspirator, or both. Hopefully Mr. Mueller has taken note. Together with the sudden termination of the most recent US Attorney for the Southern District of NY and so far, no replacement, hmm.
17
This man's primitive, disgusting behavior is the epitome of danger not only towards another human being but our very way of life. Our country is rapidly deteriorating- triggered by more and more publicity and blatant encouragement of aggression and violence. I don't care who the target it. I am ashamed of what is going on in our country.
308
ridiculousness has no boundries
3
This guy is a clown and the judge is to be commended for shutting down the circus. I'm truly becoming tired of fools finding and staying in the spotlight and pretending there aren't consequences to their actions.
423
May I introduce you to my executive management?
2
Why not throw away the key?
32
What a sick man. He did not care what asking for extortionist prices on pharmaceuticals did to ill people. He did not care how vile he looked while mocking a Congressional Committee. And he does not care that he offered a bribe for bodily assault on Hillary Clinton.
Shkreli does not deserve power or a soapbox. He needs to pay a price for his contemptibility.
699
Amen! I totally agree.
5
NM, like many corporate execs, Shkreli DOES care about his investors and stock prices. As the trial pointed out, none of his investors lost money. Stocks under his wing went up, etc. I am not excusing _any_ of this, but you sound a bit naive about why people like Shkreli do what they do.
Mr. Shkreli committed fraud, took advantage of vulnerable people to become wealthy. He behaves rudely, obscenely, obnoxiously. He clearly is a misogynist and narcissist. He is an emotionally disturbed person who has been caught and stopped before he could fully blossom into a Donald Trump.
630
Just like trump, trump is also a fraud, liar, and did the same thing, asked his crowd if there is any ( or there maybe a few ) second amendment people amongst his supporters to act against Hillary Clinton ! and then he offered to pay their legal expenses too !
There is a new culture of impunity among the wealthy class !
22
I'd be willing to place a wager that he has some mental health issues. Why would anybody want to be completely vile? He's tiresome.
6
@MVH: Oh, he's got mental issues, but that doesn't make him less dangerous; it makes him MORE dangerous to society.
10
He has always been 'a public threat'. When he was a financial trader, when he dealt in pharmceuticals- he was a scammer and a threat. Lock him up!
105
So, someone wants a hair and is now facing prosecution. Hard to sympathize with Shkreli, but there are a million guys like him in the tech and financing industries. I would much rather seem\Shkreli in jail for his price gouging of badly needed drugs.
Of course, the big drug companies price fix, gouge, and make sure Congress and FDA let them get away with it. They are never indicted. If a judge shocked the world and busted a drug company, the decision would be reversed on appeal. Even if it goes to the Supreme Court. Those are the problems we need to address, not the sins of a silly little madman.
15
I disagree. Another silly little madman became President of the United States. This guy has committed serious crimes in his business, has threatened a female journalist with sexual assault, and has done immoral things with drug prices. Maybe those immoral things were legal, maybe not, but everything together means he is criminal, dangerous and highly immoral.
Mike Roddy mistates this specific situation too: "someone want a lock of hair and is facing prosecution." Shkreli offered thousands of dollars for someone to assault Clinton and take some of her hair. That's different. And he's not facing prosecution for this. He's facing prosecution for major crimes, but he chose to again prove that he is too dangerous to be out on bail.
28
Supreme Court is a scam !
Thank you. Should be a NYT recommend.
1
Shekreli seems to fit the mold of the new "Trumpian Era" made role model. The, "I can say anything, and do anything if I'm rich enough". Fraud, assault.......no problem!
357
You said it right !
7
This guy is insane. Perhaps this is a sophisticated precursor to an insanity defense?!!
It's amazing that he is out on bail...
24
Insanity defense is dangerous. Because it could lead to unending hospitalization. Not recommended.
2
Thanks, Donald, and all of your enablers, I mean, voters. You've made the United States an uglier place to live in every possible way. Those of us with children despair.
382
We childfree despair too. Bio-breeders don't own concern for society.
13
Yes, trump is at the apex of all these criminal conduct including pardoning Arpaio and the like !
Including inviting the second amendment people amongst his supporters to do something about Hillary Clinton ! and then offering to pay their legal expenses !
15
Those of us without children despair, too.
3
This is the feel good news of the day!
23
I'm wondering if he needs a psych evaluation. Some people will say anything just to get attention.
6
What is WRONG with that guy? Is he looking for a retrial on an insanity plea?
8
Justice delayed is justice denied. About time this skeeze learned what he's in for.
25
Thank you, Judge Matsumoto. Please keep him there ALAP.
122
Ridiculousness has no boundries
3
Well, ask our top concho man in the White House, he set the example ,
they follow him, and there is no limit !
5
A bounty on hair gets one jailed. A suggestion for "Second Amendment People" to act does not. Lock them both up.
273
Yes, this is a big contradiction !
Must lock him up as well !
7
Good one.
6
And throw away the key!!
1
I don't think the ACA covers whatever is wrong with Martin Shkreli.
77
Shkreli is an evil madman. The courts would be doing everyone a favor by condemning this uncivilized life form to life without parole. It might also send a message to those that seek to exploit Americans and tries to do any harm to an American citizen.
17
Bounty hunter now too, huh?
Well, I think that long before this, we knew that “Pharma Bro” was plenty dangerous. His obscene price hikes on Daraprim meant he was willing for AIDS patients, babies, and others treated with this drug to just die.
After hurricanes, wild fires, and the threat of nuclear war these past weeks, at least we have the stunning good news of this despicable creep in jail. Let’s hope prosecutors are successful in getting the judge to revoke his bail.
29
This man is a sociopath. He shouldn't go to jail. He should be committed.
7
It is not illegal to have sociopathic tendencies. Au contraire, it can lead to elected office.
23
What can be said....yikes!
5
Hannibal Lecter much?
Is this what rampant capitalism does to a person?
20
One politician in UK, to be sure, it was Edward Heath , then Prime Minister in the early 70's said " the Ugly Face of Capitalism " in reference to Tiny Rowland ...and his company Lonrow !
1
Oh, a stint in gen-pop would be the perfect punishment for this creep.
25
Some people (immigrants) never learn that in this country even getting a hair off someone's head, without their consent, is battery. And I can say that becuase I am a naturalized citizen myself. Some immigrants live here for ages and still don't get it. Let Marty rot in prison. Perhaps he will realize one day that he lives in the USA.
19
I dislike and am disgusted by the Pharma Bro Skhereli but putting him in jail for a social media post is extreme.
Don't get me wrong, Skhereli deserves the long prison sentence that is coming to him but throwing him in jail for the FB post, especially after he qualified the statement as satire and took it down, is way too extreme and is a politically motivated judgement.
36
He's not in jail over a social media post. His bail was revoked on charges that resulted in conviction. Most people would never have gotten bail after a conviction.
43
Blueberry – does it not occur to you that there are some unhinged HRC haters that would ACT on his 'satire" – not unlike the guy who believed the tale about the underage sex slaves in the pizza parlor?
43
I don't think it matters to anyone that it might be extreme or persecution or in any way unfair. He's so odious, most of us just don't have a smidge of sympathy for him. He brought that on himself. It seems to be what he wants so he's getting it. Just what he ordered up. I don't think most people really care one way or the other about him or what happens to him. Now that's truly sad.
14
I'm sure his mother loves him. The rest of us, not so much.
6
Do you know his mother? I would not bet his mother loves him. He is truly unloveable.
11
Just be thankful that you are probably not closely related to him and will not be forced to spend a long Thanksgiving weekend with him.
1
How is this a criminal offense ?
This is not even close to -- as Pelosi calls -- "calling wolf in a theater."
Judicial activism has run amok in our country.
5
Its criminal because he is a convicted criminal on bail awaiting sentencing, and as a convicted criminal on bail awaiting sentencing, there a number of conditions that must continually be satisfied during the pendency of sentencing. Violations of any of those conditions constitutes grounds for revocation of bail. If a felon acts like a fool and threatens someone while on bail - even in jest - that is more than sufficient justification for a judge to revoke bail and remand the individual into custody. There is nothing activist about this.
61
Strangest story ever. What was he going to do with it? Clinton lost the election by a hair . And add this to her tales of why she lost the election. Shkreli is acting more like Donald Trump everyday.
9
A man who has no sense of time or place, no scruples, the business and personal morals of a 17th-century Barbary pirate, and repeatedly confirms that he knows the exactly wrong thing to say for the moment.
No, no, I'm not talking about the President of the United States of America . . . just now.
25
Social media again manages to delve into the deep depths of sludge. It appears to continue to be the Avenue for all things mediocre and ordinary. Isn't it time to get back to a civilized and intellectual society where facts and information are gained from something other than random thoughts running through random heads ?
10
Good. This individual is a safety concern.
17
Can we just cut to the chase and label this guy a sociopath? If we delved into his life and background we could probably come up with many sympathetic reasons for why he is who he is. But in the end, he's a bad guy.
24
Wouldn't the judge in this case being doing us all a huge favor by expediting this creep's sentencing hearing? Between the greed and now the demonstration of literally no moral compass, Mr. Shkreli needs a long time out to self evaluate.
17
There is just simply something wrong with this man. I have to wonder that he may be a threat to anyone and so self absorbed that he can and will do to cause harm or worse yet a death. Hoping his wealth will not protect him. The rest of us can't afford him an opportunity.
19
Honestly-could not happen to a better smirking example of 'HOW NOT TO BE A HUMAN" As much as i dont want to-i am laughing inside about this.
16
This guy is unraveling and his life is unraveling and he's where he belongs. . . . I would also like to point out the misogynistic nature of our country and the world that is becoming more and more apparent every day. Just look at Putin's dealings because he didn't want Hillary Clinton being President and I won't even touch the topic of Trump because (to me) he doesn't count much and is a disgrace to our country.
I admire her more every single day - because she is paving the way for women to get some respect in this world. I've read about abuse towards women both here and abroad and I watch the news and listen to stories, etc. but somehow it didn't feel "real" but sadly, after this election, it is more real than ever. And that is a very sad realization to have in 2017.
21
Jail is the best place for a criminal who preys on the medication needs of the sick and vulnerable.
28
Mr.Shkreili has caused such pain and suffering with his price gauging of pharmaceuticals without the apparent concern of the FDA that getting into trouble because of a hair on a politician's head is a suitably ironic finish to a diabolical career.
21
What a strange little man... there's more going on there than the usual greed drive. Don't know or care what it is, but hope he gets the jail time he deserves.
26
What this man did is in effect a call to physically attack against Hillary Clinton. A Presidential candidate and very public figure. Let this person stay in jail for at least a few years. He clearly hasn't learned or isn't willing to follow our laws.
138
As the public is learning with increasing frequency this year, amoral behavior and selfishness really go hand in hand. People who are amoral do not believe that there are consequences for words or actions.
In a civilized county, there is no room for amoral individuals in leadership positions, whether at pharmaceutical companies, hedge funds, or in government.
The purpose of justice is to maintain a civilized society. Thank you Judge Matsumoto for being a steward of justice. And thank you Robert Mueller for your work towards justice. This is how we extend civilization.
159
Extend? I think the world has enough of extended American civilization. Maybe defend or even rescue might be a better word.
4
Meet Donald Trump junior. This is the sort of thing a younger Donald Trump would have said had it occurred to him. Shkreli is a second rate con man. He has been convicted, should not ever run another company or be in charge of anyone else's money but his own, and is definitely not worth the angst he caused patients. He ought to be put in prison and forgotten about even after he's released. He is truly a little man with little ideas.
436
A threat like this is psychopathic and will likely inspire copycats. It creates a tremendous danger in our brave new social media driven world that is not remotely able to handle increasing destabilization. People who make threats, are continually derogatory while self-aggrandizing, and promote violence should not be treated like they are sane.
469
Like our so-called president, for instance?
25
Or elected to the highest office in the land.
5
Suzanne Moniz, Shkreli is not insane. Let's not let Brafman, his lawyer, trot out that defense and delay Shkreli's final comeuppance.
1