Link here to Podcast Ep. 20: Glenn E. Martin & Richard Bronson: Reinventing Yourself After Prison
Link here to Podcast Ep. 19: Insider Trading Charges Dismissed, with Guest Richard Lee
Link here to Podcast Ep. 18: Is Your Life a Movie? The Producers, with Guests: Lydia B. Smith, Bethany Jones & Will Nix
Link here to Podcast Ep. 17: #TruthHeals: Systemic Abuse & Institutional Reform with Vanessa Osage, feat. Guest Co-Host Chloe Coppola
Link here to Podcast Ep. 16: Politicians, Prison & Penitence, with Guest: Bridgeport, CT Mayor Joseph Ganim
Link here to Podcast Ep. 15: A Brave Talk About Suicide, with Guests Bob Flanagan, Elizabeth Kelley, & Meredith Atwood
Link here to Podcast Ep. 14: Recovery & Neighborhood, with Guest: TNP’s Tom Scott
Link here to Podcast Ep. 13: Everything but Bridgegate, with Guest: Bill Baroni
Link here to Podcast Ep. 12: The Truth Tellers, with Guests: Holli Coulman & Larry Levine
Link here to Podcast Ep. 11: The Blank Canvas, with Guest: Craig Stanland
Link here to Podcast Ep. 10: The Ministers, with Guests: Father Joe Ciccone & Father Rix Thorsell
Link here to Podcast Ep. 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest: Taxgirl Kelly Phillips Erb
Link here to Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson
Link here to Podcast Ep. 07: White Collar Wives. with Guests: Lynn Springer, Cassie Monaco & Julie Bennett. Special Guest: Skylar Cluett
Link here to Podcast Ep. 06: Madoff Talks, with Guest: Jim Campbell
Link here to Podcast Ep. 05: Trauma and Healing when Mom goes to Prison, with Guests: Jacqueline Polverari and Her Daughters, Alexa & Maria
Link here to Podcast Ep. 04: One-on-One with Tipper X: Tom Hardin
Link here to Podcast Ep. 03: Compassionate Lawyering: Guests, Chris Poulos, Corey Brinson, Bob Herbst & George Hritz
Link here to Podcast Ep. 02: Substance Abuse & Recovery During COVID-19: Guests, Trevor Shevin & Joshua Cagney
Link here to Podcast Ep. 01: Prison & Reentry in the Age of COVID-19: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group.
Link here to Podcast Ep. 00: White Collar Week with Jeff Grant: What is White Collar Week?
Welcome to White Collar Week, a podcast serving the white collar justice community. It’s the isolation that destroys us. The solution is in community.
If you are interested in this podcast, then you are probably already a member of the white collar justice community – even if you don’t quite know it yet. Our community is certainly made up of people being prosecuted, or who have already been prosecuted, for white collar crimes. But it is also made up of the spouses, children and families of those prosecuted for white collar crimes – these are the first victims of white collar crime. And the community also consists the other victims, both direct and indirect, and those in the wider white collar ecosystem like friends, colleagues, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, academics, researchers. Investigators, mitigation experts, corrections officers, reentry professionals, mental health care professionals, drug and alcohol counselors, – and ministers, chaplains and advocates for criminal and social justice reform. The list goes on and on…
In this very eventful summer 2020, our mission is to introduce you to other members of the white collar justice community, to hear their very personal stories, and hopefully gain a broader perspective of what this is really all about. Maybe this will inspire some deeper thoughts and introspection? Maybe it will inspire some empathy and compassion for people you might otherwise resent or dismiss? And maybe it will help lift us all out of our own isolation and into community, so we can learn to live again in the sunshine of the spirit.
Along the way, I’ll share with you some of the things I’ve learned in my own journey from successful lawyer, to prescription opioid addict, white collar crime, suicide attempt, disbarment, destruction of my marriage, and the almost 14 months I served in a Federal prison. And also my recovery, love story I share with my wife Lynn Springer, after prison earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, pastoring in an inner city church in Bridgeport CT, and then co-founding with Lynn in Greenwich CT, Progressive Prison Ministries, the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community. It’s been quite a ride, but I firmly believe that the best is yet to come.
So I invite you to come along with me as we experience something new, and bold, and different this summer – a podcast that serves the entire white collar justice community. I hope you will join me.
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar justice community. Founded by husband and wife, Jeff Grantand Lynn Springer in Greenwich CT in 2012, we incorporated as a nonprofit in Connecticut in 2014, and received 501(c)(3) status in 2015. Jeff has over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law (former), reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), and executive and religious leadership. As Jeff was incarcerated for a white-collar crime he committed in 2001, he and Lynn have a first-hand perspective on the trials and tribulations that white-collar families have to endure as they navigate the criminal justice system and life beyond.
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is nonsectarian, serving those of all faiths, or no faith whatsoever. To date we have helped over three hundred fifty (350) individuals, and their families, to accept responsibility for their actions and to acknowledge the pain they have caused to others. In accordance with our commitment to restorative justice, we counsel our members to make amends as a first step in changing their lives and moving towards a new spiritual way of living centered on hope, care, compassion, tolerance, empathy and service to others. Our team has grown to over ten people, most with advanced degrees, all of whom are currently volunteering their time and resources.
Progressive Prison Ministries’ goal is to provide spiritual solutions and emotional support to those who are feeling alone, isolated, and hopeless. We have found that these individuals are suffering from a void but are stuck, and don’t know what to do about it. Our objective is to help them find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what may seem like insurmountable problems. Many of those we counsel are in a place where their previous lives have come to an end due to their transgressions. In many cases their legal problems have led to divorce, estrangement from their children, families, friends and support communities, and loss of a career. The toll this takes on individuals and families is emotionally devastating. White-collar crimes are often precipitated by other issues in the offenders’ lives such as alcohol or drug abuse, and/or a physical or mental illness that lead to financial issues that overwhelms their ability to be present for themselves and their families and cause poor decision making. We recognize that life often presents us with such circumstances, sometimes which lead us to make mistakes in violation of the law.
All conversations and communications between our ordained ministry, and licensed clinical relationships, and those we serve fall under state privilege laws. This is one reason that attorneys often allow and encourage their clients to maintain relationships with us while in active prosecution or litigation situations.
If you, a friend, family member, colleague or client are suffering from a white collar criminal justice issue or are experiencing some other traumatic or life-altering event, and would like to find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what seems like insurmountable problems, please contact us to schedule an initial call or appointment.
Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.
On Friday, June 5, 2020, we hosted our Children of Incarcerated Parents Show with guests Aileen Keays, Nishka Ayala and Isis DeLoatch on the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and 24/7 podcast everywhere, see below. Live video on Facebook Live. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
Aileen Keays, M.S., is a Project Manager with Central Connecticut State University’s Institute for Municipal & Regional Policy (IMRP). Since IMRP first began to receive funding to support children with incarcerated parents (CIP) in fiscal year 2008, Ms. Keays has directed the Connecticut Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative (CTCIP).
Through the CTCIP, Ms. Keays oversees several projects related to parental incarceration. This includes supervising the delivery of services to children and families dealing with parental incarceration, as well as the evaluation of these services. Ms. Keays has also managed research investigations to better understand the impact of parental arrest and incarceration on children. She also assists with the development of programs and services for CIP, provides consultation, training and technical assistance for those seeking to support CIP, and oversees CCSU’s Children with Incarcerated Parents Scholarship program.
Ms. Keays has spoken across the country on the topic of CIP as well as overseas, including most recently at the International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents conference. Ms. Keays has published research articles and book chapters on CIP and has been interviewed by various media outlets on the impact of parental incarceration on children, including most recently by BBC World News.
In spite of Ms. Keays’ extensive involvement working on behalf of, and with, those affected by incarceration, she found herself completely unprepared for the effects of having a loved one incarcerated when it encroached into her life. Ms. Keays knows first-hand the devastation that incarceration imposes on loved ones, the importance of in-person contact visits, and phone calls. The experience will forever impact her work for, and with, those affected by incarceration.
Nishka Ayala
My name is Nishka Ayala and I am a Forensic Interviewer at Klingberg Children’s Advocacy Center in Hartford, CT. What I enjoy most about my job is that each day brings different experiences and challenges. I started working with children as a sophomore in college and have been in the field ever since. I graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2017, with a Bachelor’s in Criminology and Spanish. During my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my loved ones, cooking, and traveling. My goal is to obtain my Master’s degree in Social Work within the next 5 years. Throughout my last years as an undergrad student at CCSU, I had the privilege of being one of the CIP Initiative scholarship recipients. Not only did this scholarship help me financially, but it also gave me the opportunity to share my experience on how I was affected by my father’s incarceration growing up, and to connect with others that have also been affected by the incarceration of a loved one.
Isis DeLoatch
Hello, my name is Isis DeLoatch and I am currently a senior at Central Connecticut State University. I am studying Social Work with a minor in sociology. I am a proud recipient of the IMRP (Children with Incarcerated Parents initiative) annual scholarship. My father was incarcerated for ten years of my life, and throughout my childhood, I successfully dealt with the stigma and adversity that comes with having an incarcerated parent. Throughout my college career, I have had the opportunity to volunteer and collect research on children with incarcerated parents that were presented at the annual NASW conference in 2017. After completing my undergrad this spring as a first-generation college student, I plan to continue my education by obtaining my MSW and LCSW so I can work in the men’s jail system as a licensed clinical social worker and then later building a non-profit health and wellness center.
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The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept. through June, from the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day. Live-stream and 24/7 podcast available everywhere.
Season Three Program/Guests List (*formerly incarcerated):
Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch*, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel*, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman*, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson*, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, Guests CT Rep. Josh Elliott & Tiheba Bain* Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs Fri., Jan. 3, 2020: Reginald Dwayne Betts*, Lawyer, Poet, Lecturer on Mass Incarceration Fri., Jan. 17, 2020: Serena Ligouri*, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children — L.I. Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock*, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA Fri,. Feb. 20, 2020: Larry Levine*, Talk Show Host & Criminal Justice Consultant Fri,. Mar. 6, 2020: Hans Hallundbaek, Interfaith Prison Partnership Fri., Mar. 20, 2020: Tiheba Bain*, Women’s Incarceration Advocate Fri., Apr. 3, 2020: Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear*, Director, Healing Communities Prison Ministry Thurs., Apr. 16, 2020, 6:30 pm: Live Onstage at Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, Special Guests to be Announced Fri., Apr. 17, 2020: Inaugural Inductees* of the CT Hall of Change & Charlie Grady, Founder Fri., May 1, 2020: Eilene Zimmerman, Author of the New Book, “Smacked: A Story of White Collar Ambition, Addiction & Tragedy” Fri., May 15, 2020: Fran Pastore, CEO, Women’s Business Development Council Fri., June 5, 2020: Children of Incarcerated Parents Show, Guests Aileen Keays & Nishka Ayala
“The new year promises to be an interesting one in white-collar crime” wrote professor Peter Henning of Wayne State University Law School and author of New York Times DealBook’s “White Collar Watch” back in January. Little did the professor know.
I doubt Henning could have predicted that thousands, maybe millions, of floundering businesses would be leaving as much as $100 billion in forgivable loans on the table as they risked insolvency because they were afraid they’d get arrested for taking it. The reopening of the economy is being slowed not just by the virus but because the public is increasingly aware of the government’s capriciousness in criminally charging people.
On May 5, two men in New England became the first people to face a criminal fraud complaint related to the Paycheck Protection Program, the $660 billion plank of the CARES Act that supplements the income of small businesses whose revenue’s been sliced by social distance and shelter-at-home orders. Prosecutors warned: More cases would be filed.
And they were. A cast member of reality TV show “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta” was charged with making a fraudulent loan application that netted him $2 million, which he spent, in part, on a Rolex, diamonds and child support arrearage.
FBI agents picked up Maurice “Arkansas Mo” Fayne May 13, the same day the Small Business Administration changed the game and announced – in the form of guidance on Question 46 of its Frequently Asked Questions – that it would allow “safe harbor” for any loans under $2 million by assuming that all certifications made about need, meaning those statements applicants make about how much the business required the stimulus loan to stay afloat, were made in good faith.
That’s code for “no criminal charges.” If those PPP loans aren’t used for payroll and overhead, they’ll have to be paid back, but companies that borrowed less than $2 million shouldn’t expect to look out the window and see windbreakers on the stoop.
That also means that if Arkansas Mo had sought and borrowed $1.9 million and hadn’t been found out before May 13, he could have tooled around in his leased 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith without worrying about red and blue lights pulling up on him.
The average loan is around $240,000, so it stands to reason that many, maybe even a majority, of PPP borrowers are covered by the guidance in Question 46 and won’t become defendants in criminal cases related to the PPP. Among those who’ve been preemptively absolved, there must be a few who fudged the numbers or doctored a document. At least for now, it looks like they’ll get away with it. While collar crime is interesting, indeed.
Attracting my attention is the likely reason for the SBA rule change. The deadline for the original PPP safe harbor provision – the amnesty period for borrowers who had committed fraud in the PPP application process to return the money in any amount with no questions asked – was May 14, a day after the answer to Question 46 appeared.
Business owners had been described as panicked and anxious prior to the May 14. Confessing to a crime when no penalty awaits is easy; the fact that entrepreneurs were perplexed about whether they should return the money during a time of financial amnesty tells me that they likely hadn’t made phony applications but were more afraid that the government would accuse them of doing so even if they hadn’t.
While the number of returned loans hasn’t been reported as of May 15, I bet it was higher than anticipated – almost like a reverse bank run – because people didn’t want to risk an indictment by an unpredictable prosecutorial regime. The SBA changed the safe harbor rule on May 13 because appropriated funds need to be circulating in the economy, otherwise foil the point of the PPP.
Especially during a crisis, no one should take advantage of stimulus programs or other bailouts. Some will, out of greed or even desperation, as the Rev. Jeff Grant, former inmate and founder of Progressive Prison Ministries, described in a first-person column for Entrepreneur.com. But most won’t, and they should feel confident that their lack of intent to cheat the government would protect them from being criminally accused as they’re trying to save their business against unprecedented odds.
But lack of intent – it’s called mens rea, Latin for “guilty mind” – is rarely a protection against indictment. White-collar crime in the year 2020 is interesting because people are proving that they’re hip to this reality; they wisely gave wide berth to fickle federal prosecutors, proving they’d go under before they’d go up the river over some poorly outlined lending rules.
Craig Stanland is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings, 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT. We celebrated our 200th consecutive weekly online meeting on Monday, April 13, 2020.
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October 1st, 2013
You have one unheard voicemail.
“Mr. Stanland, this is special agent McTiernan with the FBI. We are at your residence and have a warrant for your arrest. You will need to call us and come home immediately, or we will issue an APB with the Federal Marshall’s for your arrest.”
This is how my journey began.
For just under a year, I committed fraud against one of the largest technology companies in the world. I discovered a loophole in their warranty policy and exploited it for my financial gain.
Read more below…
I was already by most standard definitions, successful. I owned a few homes, beautiful cars, expensive watches. I was a VIP at some of the best restaurants in Greenwich and Manhattan.
I was married to an incredible and amazing woman.
I did not need to do what I did.
But, I was not worthy of my amazing wife. I was not worthy of my success. I was not enough, and I was empty.
Unworthiness and emptiness transformed into greed.
I knew what I was doing was wrong; the voice inside told me not to do it. It begged and pleaded, and I ignored it, burying my head in the sand.
Drinking to excess and buying everything I could get my hands on in a desperate attempt to fill that void. I was too blind to see I was trying to fill a broken glass.
I plead guilty to one count of mail fraud, received a twenty-four-month sentence, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution.
I lost everything: my homes, my career, my cars, my watches.
I lied to my wife and told her what I was doing was “OK.”
I broke trust in our marriage, and she left me.
Who I was as a person had become so inextricably tied to my things and my ability to purchase those things that without them, I had no idea who I was.
I had no identity other than being the man who blew up his life and the life of the woman he loves.
Any sense of self-worth, which was shaky to begin to, had vanished.
I was fortunate. I was assigned to Otisville Federal Prison Camp. My safety was never a concern, and all things considered, it was actually a pretty setting.
Picnic tables surrounded by nature and wildlife. The deer would almost eat out of my hands. The goose with the broken wing did eat out of my hands. My fellow inmates were some of the most interesting people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
But the mind is a prison we cannot escape.
Shame cast its long shadow over me, and soon, I was consumed. I couldn’t break free from its suffocating grip.
Shame for the hell I know my wife is experiencing. She was working fourteen-hour back-breaking days, just to keep a roof over her head and food in the fridge.
The pain I hear in her voice when we speak, it’s raw and visceral. It’s the most authentic expression of suffering from someone who’s been hurt more than they knew it was possible to hurt.
To often we are hurt the most by the people we love the most.
Shame for the arrogance I displayed with my family and friends. Shame for not listening to the voice in my heart.
That voice is gone, I ignored it for too long, and it has abandoned me.
Shame for who I had become. Shame for being blind to what truly matters to me. Shame for understanding too late that it’s not things. It’s not money or job titles.
Sometimes the most beautiful things in life are, at their core, simple.
With every thought wrapped in shame, my monkey mind created the vision of what my suicide would look like.
I’m in a dark, dingy basement, pistol in my mouth, I pull the trigger, pieces of brain and skull plaster the wall behind me.
My mind played this image over and over on a perpetual loop for four months straight.
Every night, just after the ten o’clock count, as I rested my head on the pillow, I would pray. To anyone or anything who would listen,
“Why won’t it stop? Why won’t it stop? Please make it fucking stop……”
Begging and pleading. Each night the same prayer, and every morning the same disappointment when the light of a new day kissed my eyes.
Four months of unanswered prayers.
I smiled and pretended, everything was OK. I was afraid to share with anyone what I was feeling. Rumors were swirling around about what happens to inmates who speak of suicide. Solitary confinement, getting shipped out to a mental facility.
I bottled it up and kept it in. The tighter I closed the lid, the more the pain grew.
This was when I began planning how I would kill myself. This is the power of shame. This was my rock-bottom.
A well-timed, out of the blue, visit from my best friend of thirty years turned everything around in an instant.
Sean showed me I had worth, outside of what I had always believed made me worthy. I was not my property or possessions.
My value, my worth, was in being a friend, and nothing more.
It was from this day on that I began to rebuild and reinvent my life.
I guess my prayers were answered. Fortunately, not the way I was asking for.
It’s been six years of rebuilding and reinventing. Ups and downs. Disappointments and failures and massive successes.
My life is no longer tied to my things or my ability to purchase those things.
It is built on a foundation of:
I am enough. I am worthy. I love myself. I trust myself. I accept myself, truly, deeply, and unconditionally.
I live in a state of abundance and gratitude.
When we have a foundation rooted in these, we no longer need anything outside of ourselves to feel whole.
We are whole.
My term of supervised release ended on May 9th, 2019. About a month afterward, I was asked a question.
“If you had an opportunity to change your life, to do things differently, would you?”
I thought about it—the pain, the suffering, the shame, consumed by the vision of killing myself.
My response came from deep within, from the truest expression of myself,
“There is not enough money in the world for me to change a thing. I am exactly where I am meant to be, doing what I am meant to be doing. This has turned into the greatest gift I have ever received.”
I am free.
My mission now is to help people whose lives have fallen apart rebuild and reinvent their lives.
I’m a Reinvention Architect. I help my clients start over so they can have the extraordinary life they’ve always wanted.
I offer a free Start Over Strategy Session. On this call, we’ll identify what an extraordinary life for you looks like and uncover challenges that are holding you back from reinventing your life.
You’ll leave this call with actionable next steps to start rebuilding and reinventing your extraordinary life now.
I have been a helper all my life, a cop for 20 years, and a teacher and college professor for another 20 years as well. Now I am a Progressive Catholic Priest, bringing the Gospel to those in the margins. Our ministry tries to help those who are lost, broken, and have been rejected by traditional religion and sometimes even thrown away by society itself. Even through all the ups and downs (and there were many) I loved going to work every single day and still do. Oddly, especially during challenging and difficult times, I felt most called and even excited about being out there making a difference. Clearly one of the most poignant times was the AIDS epidemic when I was a first responder through that entire period. I always felt I had the best and one of the more important jobs ever. I was scared, but never wavered during that time of being in my twenties and thinking I was invincible. Although a lot changed in my life and a call to service came crashing down in 2001 along with the World Trade Center which gave me the ability to start anew. Seminary would happen a few years later and now doing ministry that I hope is a true and powerful call and to really be of service to others has been a great blessing that I will be forever grateful for. But this pandemic seems different. Maybe it is because I am older, have two of the high-risk factors, heart condition and diabetes. Plus, I am the sole caregiver for my special needs sister, after the death of our mother 3 years ago. I have always been a fearless, relentless social justice advocate fighting to make the world a better place. Now I am a social distant observer, fearful witness to a world that seems to be falling apart and I am lost. I know I am not alone as millions of Americans have lost their jobs and purpose. Countless people worldwide are in lock down. Italians are no longer singing from their Terraces and I would venture to say that almost everyone is lost and afraid. After a quiet dinner with my sister last night, I suggested we go outside to the front porch to watch the sun starting to set. As we stepped out the UPS person had just dropped off a package. God bless those wonderful essential workers. It was a box of fresh Palms that were supposed to be given out for Palm Sunday this weekend, that will never be used to bless the world now. He had run back into his truck and I can hear him yell to me to call 911 “Hey! A blind man just fell and he is hurt – do you know him?” My sister was going to jump into action, and started to run down the stairs and I stopped her. “No, Nancy you stay here” and I moved toward him and watched him get up. He had a cut on his chin that was bleeding but seemed okay. I recognized him from the block. He is young man that I often say hello to. Sadly, I do not even know his name. I have spoken to his caregiver who helps him to be very active and independent. “Can I help you get home?” I called out. He yelled back, “No! No! Stay away from me.” To be honest, I was glad he said that because I was afraid to. We called his caregiver and all turned out okay. But I knew I didn’t do enough….and it broke my heart. I had trouble sleeping last night and scrolling endlessly through social media I read a post from a colleague I have a great deal of respect for. Father Mike, another independent Catholic priest, operates a food truck for the hungry and a homeless shelter. He is one of my “priest heroes” long before this terrible time. His post hit a nerve, “All of the Clergy hiding in their rectories and behind cameras should be banned from ever preaching about the Martyrs and the Church Fathers ever again! You can still serve while maintaining social distancing and safe practices! Jesus Weeps.” It hit home because every day I am broadcasting a “Prayers during Pandemic” service LIVE to help give a message of hope. I added a comment about judging others, clearly I should be listening to my own words. Maybe Father Mike is right. We need to do more, we need to have more purpose, we need to use this time of world pause to help each other, and of course doing so safely. This can be the time to help our Earth heal and be better for not only tomorrow but for generations to come. But most importantly, we need to find the blessings that are hidden in these dreadful times and find those blessings that are right before us as Spring comes to the world and we must look to this re-birth of ourselves during these most challenging and quiet days. It seems the Earth is starting to heal and I just hope that all of us can do so as well. As those palms that were delivered yesterday symbolize Jesus returning to Jerusalem after those 40 days of prayer, isolated and alone, in the desert, we too can use this time to pray and reflect. Although those palms may not physically reach the faithful this year, they will spiritually and wait patiently for Ash Wednesday next year, to be burned and start anew. Further confirmation that there is hope that the world and life will go on. May God protect and love you all+
Rev. Dr. Joseph Ciccone a Priest in the Order of Franciscan Servants and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York with a Master of Divinity Degree in Ministry and Pastoral Care. Here is currently assigned to Saint Joseph Mission Church, bringing the Gospel to those in the margins and to people in need wherever they may be. I have also been a Chapel Minister at Saint James Chapel at Union Seminary and specialize in traditional and non-traditional Catholic, Christian and Interfaith ceremonies. Our Mission on the Move began in New Jersey in 2016, thus far we have married nearly 400 couples, Baptized so many of the children and some of the couples we have married. We make countless hospital visits and give the anointing of the sick, bring the sacraments to the home bound, the lost and broken and those who needs Gods love but have been hurt by the traditional church.
I have been a helper all my life, a cop for 20 years, and a teacher and college professor for another 20 years as well. Now I am a Progressive Catholic Priest, bringing the Gospel to those in the margins. Our ministry tries to help those who are lost, broken, and have been rejected by traditional religion and sometimes even thrown away by society itself. Even through all the ups and downs (and there were many) I loved going to work every single day and still do. Oddly, especially during challenging and difficult times, I felt most called and even excited about being out there making a difference. Clearly one of the most poignant times was the AIDS epidemic when I was a first responder through that entire period. I always felt I had the best and one of the more important jobs ever. I was scared, but never wavered during that time of being in my twenties and thinking I was invincible. Although a lot changed in my life and a call to service came crashing down in 2001 along with the World Trade Center which gave me the ability to start anew. Seminary would happen a few years later and now doing ministry that I hope is a true and powerful call and to really be of service to others has been a great blessing that I will be forever grateful for.
But this pandemic seems different. Maybe it is because I am older, have two of the high-risk factors, heart condition and diabetes. Plus, I am the sole caregiver for my special needs sister, after the death of our mother 3 years ago. I have always been a fearless, relentless social justice advocate fighting to make the world a better place. Now I am a social distant observer, fearful witness to a world that seems to be falling apart and I am lost. I know I am not alone as millions of Americans have lost their jobs and purpose. Countless people worldwide are in lock down. Italians are no longer singing from their Terraces and I would venture to say that almost everyone is lost and afraid.
After a quiet dinner with my sister last night, I suggested we go outside to the front porch to watch the sun starting to set. As we stepped out the UPS person had just dropped off a package. God bless those wonderful essential workers. It was a box of fresh Palms that were supposed to be given out for Palm Sunday this weekend, that will never be used to bless the world now. He had run back into his truck and I can hear him yell to me to call 911 “Hey! A blind man just fell and he is hurt – do you know him?” My sister was going to jump into action, and started to run down the stairs and I stopped her. “No, Nancy you stay here” and I moved toward him and watched him get up. He had a cut on his chin that was bleeding but seemed okay. I recognized him from the block. He is young man that I often say hello to. Sadly, I do not even know his name. I have spoken to his caregiver who helps him to be very active and independent. “Can I help you get home?” I called out. He yelled back, “No! No! Stay away from me.” To be honest, I was glad he said that because I was afraid to. We called his caregiver and all turned out okay. But I knew I didn’t do enough….and it broke my heart.
I had trouble sleeping last night and scrolling endlessly through social media I read a post from a colleague I have a great deal of respect for. Father Mike, another independent Catholic priest, operates a food truck for the hungry and a homeless shelter. He is one of my “priest heroes” long before this terrible time. His post hit a nerve, “All of the Clergy hiding in their rectories and behind cameras should be banned from ever preaching about the Martyrs and the Church Fathers ever again! You can still serve while maintaining social distancing and safe practices! Jesus Weeps.” It hit home because every day I am broadcasting a “Prayers during Pandemic” service LIVE to help give a message of hope. I added a comment about judging others, clearly I should be listening to my own words. Maybe Father Mike is right. We need to do more, we need to have more purpose, we need to use this time of world pause to help each other, and of course doing so safely. This can be the time to help our Earth heal and be better for not only tomorrow but for generations to come. But most importantly, we need to find the blessings that are hidden in these dreadful times and find those blessings that are right before us as Spring comes to the world and we must look to this re-birth of ourselves during these most challenging and quiet days. It seems the Earth is starting to heal and I just hope that all of us can do so as well.
As those palms that were delivered yesterday symbolize Jesus returning to Jerusalem after those 40 days of prayer, isolated and alone, in the desert, we too can use this time to pray and reflect. Although those palms may not physically reach the faithful this year, they will spiritually and wait patiently for Ash Wednesday next year, to be burned and start anew. Further confirmation that there is hope that the world and life will go on.
May God protect and love you all+
Rev. Dr. Joseph Ciccone a Priest in the Order of Franciscan Servants and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York with a Master of Divinity Degree in Ministry and Pastoral Care. Here is currently assigned to Saint Joseph Mission Church, bringing the Gospel to those in the margins and to people in need wherever they may be. I have also been a Chapel Minister at Saint James Chapel at Union Seminary and specialize in traditional and non-traditional Catholic, Christian and Interfaith ceremonies. Our Mission on the Move began in New Jersey in 2016, thus far we have married nearly 400 couples, Baptized so many of the children and some of the couples we have married. We make countless hospital visits and give the anointing of the sick, bring the sacraments to the home bound, the lost and broken and those who needs Gods love but have been hurt by the traditional church.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
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In the months after 9/11, I was frantic.
But my fears had less to do with the tragedy at the Word Trade Center and more to do with the fact that, after 10 years of rampant prescription opioid abuse, my business was failing. I was searching desperately for an out. Meanwhile, the television and radio were blaring with ads for 9/11 FEMA loans administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
So, on an especially bad day, I lied.
I said I had an office near ground zero. I received the SBA loan I requested, and immediately paid down the personal credit cards I had run up while waiting for the SBA money. Even so, the loan did little to stop my spiral into drug addiction, mental health issues, marital problems and magical thinking.
In 2002, I resigned my law license and started on the road to recovery. But it all caught up with me about 20 months later, when I was arrested for the misrepresentations on my loan application. I served almost 14 months at a Federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering.
My objective in writing this piece is to offer some insight on what business owners should consider before they take out disaster loans. Certainly, the majority of people requesting these loans are honest and upstanding entrepreneurs who have immense need for the aid, and will use the funds properly. I am very glad there is help for them. That said, history has shown us again and again that when people are in dire need, they’re more prone to make impulsive, ill-advised decisions. My hope is that sharing my experience will help others avoid the consequences I faced. Here are seven takeaways.
1. Desperate people do desperate things.
There were thousands of fraud prosecutions after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and so on. Why? Whether because of overwhelming business issues, poor personal judgment, or just plain bad luck, people were wounded, desperate and willing to do anything, anything, to stop the bleeding. But if the wound is too deep, a Band-aid is not sufficient.
Practice point: In any situation, behaving desperately is unlikely to save your business.
2. Beware of the belief that rules are suspended in times of emergency.
The government is advertising that huge amounts of money are available to save our businesses. I recently sat in on a webinar run by a very reputable business consulting group that recommended that attendees get their SBA disaster loan applications in immediately, regardless of the facts or the actual needs of their business — they said we could always modify our applications prior to taking the money. State unemployment websites are actually giving instructions, in writing, on how to mislead and circumvent the system in order to get approved. Don’t take the bait! If you default two years from now, this “good-meaning advice” won’t matter to prosecutors.
Practice point: Be truthful at all times.
3. Beware of magical thinking.
This is a tough one because entrepreneurs are inherently optimistic. We believe that things will always be better tomorrow than they are today. It drives us, makes us successful, informs our risk-taking. But in times of trauma, that voice can be an entrepreneur’s worst enemy. Does this sound familiar? We have learned the hard way that there is no shortcut, and yet we desperately want there to be one right now.
Practice point: Instead of immediately reaching for a bailout or other quick fix, develop a good solid business plan. Maybe a disaster loan will fit into this plan; maybe it won’t.
4. This paradigm shift will affect all small to mid-size businesses.
We are in the midst of a massive reordering that has already had a huge effect on small and mid-sized businesses. Business owners are being called to closely examine if our business models are still viable, or if we must pivot to new ways of doing things. Example: the Swiss watch industry completely missed the shift to digital watches. Have we waited too long to have a robust online presence? Are our products or services even needed anymore? Have we been holding on by a thread for years, unwilling or unable to look at the hard facts?
Practice point: Get real, now. Don’t borrow money to save a business that can’t be saved.
5. Be cautious when borrowing from the government.
As is the case with any loan, the devil is in the details. The terms and covenants in the loan documents dictate what you can or can’t do with the money once you get it. You can only use the funds for the purposes you stated in your application — that is, to pay operating expenses of the business to keep it afloat until it starts bringing in sufficient revenue again. You (and your spouse) will probably have sign for the loan personally, and will probably have to pledge all available collateral, including a second (or third) mortgage on your house. If you maxed out your personal credit cards while anticipating your disaster relief funding, you can’t use the money to pay off your cards.
Practice point: Read the terms and covenants of the loan closely. Whatever the loan terms say to do, do, and whatever they say don’t do, don’t do. No exceptions.
6. We can’t save our businesses and our lifestyles at the same time.
Here’s the big trap. We have mortgages, car payments, school tuitions, and other personal expenses that have to be paid, and soon. But simply put, SBA loans are meant to save your business, not your lifestyle. Discuss all your options with advisors and friends you trust — ones that will tell you the truth! It’s like going to the doctor. Your diagnosis will only be as accurate as the history you provide. These are trying times, with a triage system designed to be more expeditious than thorough.
Practice point: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Borrowing money comes with responsibility and accountability.
7. Get acquainted with acceptance.
I hope we are all great entrepreneurs who can figure out ways to make our businesses survive and flourish. But let’s face it. Some of our businesses will not make it, even with the infusion of government funds. What should we do? We can pare down, embrace change and do things differently as we start a new chapter. Never forget that there will always be opportunity to start again, and to live a fuller, more abundant life.
Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. is Co-Founder of Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community. The ministry hosts an online White Collar Support Group every Monday night. After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed when he was a lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry — earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York with a focus in Social Ethics.
Jeff has over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law (former), reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), public speaking and corporate training. Sometimes referred to in the press as “The Minister to Hedge Funders,” he uses his experience and background to guide individuals, families and organizations forward in their lives, relationships, careers and business opportunities, and to help them to stop making the kinds of decisions that previously resulted in loss, suffering and shame.
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More on SBA PPP & EIDL Loan Fraud:
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Steal Money from the Feds? First, Meet Jeff Grant, an Ex-Con who Committed Loan Fraud, by Erin Arvedlund: Link to article here.
Fraud Stories Podcast with Mark Lurie: SBA/PPP Loan Fraud with Guest: Jeff Grant. Link to podcast here.
Forbes: As Law Enforcement Pursues SBA Loan Fraud, Jeff Grant Talks Redemption, by Kelly Phillips Erb. Link to article here.
Taxgirl Podcast: Jeff Grant talks Desperation and Loans in a Time of Crisis with Kelly Phillips Erb on Her Podcast. Link to article and podcast here.
Business Talk with Jim Campbell: Jeff Grant Talks with Jim About Going to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud and What to Know When Taking Coronavirus Relief Money, Biz Talk Radio Network, Broadcast from 1490 AM WGCH Greenwich, CT. Listen on YouTube here.
Babz Rawls Ivy Show: Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant Talk SBA / PPP Loan Fraud and 7 Things to Know Before You Take Coronavirus Relief Money, WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven. Watch on YouTube here.
Also: White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, Podcast Episode 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest Kelly Phillips Erb. Link here.
The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He was sentenced to serve over two years in Federal Prison for a white collar crime, and is scheduled to report next month. He sent me this prayer letter and asked me to post it on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It hosts a White Collar Support Group meeting online on Zoom every Monday at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here. We will be hosting our 200th consecutive weekly meeting online on Monday, April 13, 2020.
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To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,
On behalf of all those who are incarcerated, waiting to report or are in the process of working through the criminal justice system I write this prayer letter to bring a voice to our plight. As I am preparing to report to a federal prison, I believe it’s important that we do whatever I (we) can to advocate for ourselves.
“Early on in this pandemic, we learned that, as with other closed spaces such as cruise ships and nursing homes, the covid-19 coronavirus spread rapidly in Chinese correctional facilities. Now the United States, which leads the world when it comes to incarceration, faces that same challenge.”
The question on the minds of those that have family members in prison or waiting to report is what the government will do to intervene on our behalf. The most common recommendation put forward by the ACLU and other organizations is to reduce the population inside prisons and avoid the reporting of any new inmates unless the circumstances of the crime warrant removal from general population. Prison reform (The First Step Act) was signed into law in 2018 in order to address some of the many issues that have plagued our system for years. Like any change in law the process is slow and the suffering of those who are most affected take much too long to implement.
As the coronavirus continues to spread it has made its way into prisons and reports of infections are increasing daily. There have been numerous reports warning that this was inevitable due to the close proximity of the living quarters, where inmates share bathrooms, laundry and eating areas. As reported in the New York Times “jails experience a daily influx of correctional staff, vendors, health care workers, educators and visitors — all of whom carry viral conditions at the prison back to their homes and communities and return the next day packing the germs from back home. How will we prevent incarcerated people and those who work in these institutions from becoming ill and spreading the virus?” It’s obvious that it is impossible to avoid an outbreak in prisons even during the best of times.
Personal and societal change is difficult to achieve and is generally precipitated by some traumatic event such as COVID-19. This is especially true when it comes to laws that have been baked into our judicial system for many years. This pandemic is a national emergency that affects everyone. For those of us who are desperate to see change it is time that government and those that truly believe in criminal justice reform take immediate action to avoid the growing disaster that is happening in our nation’s prisons. For nonviolent offenders with low risk of recidivism there are other options that must be considered in order to avoid causing further harm. In a letter to Attorney General Barr dated March 20th from Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congresswomen Karen Bass they demanded answers on a multitude of suggestions that were made in a March 12th letter that would help during this pandemic and have yet to be addressed. “During this national emergency, DOJ should be doing all it can to increase social distancing and decrease movement to prevent further proliferation of COVID-19. This means that the Department must limit the number of inmates being brought into the system”
When we fail to consider all the costs and consequences of our system of mass incarceration, we run the risk of making a bad situation like this even worse. The justification for protecting public safety with imprisonment must be reassessed during this time as public safety will be at even greater danger if we fail to mitigate risks associated with confining too many people in jails, prisons, prison camps and detention facilities during a pandemic.
It is up to us as individuals to make sure our voices are heard and the word spreads faster than the virus itself. We can’t afford to wait for things to get better and allow people to forget what we are going through right now.
The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He was sentenced to serve over two years in Federal Prison for a white collar crime, and is scheduled to report next month. He sent me this prayer letter and asked me to post it on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It hosts a White Collar Support Group meeting online on Zoom every Monday at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here. We will be hosting our 200th consecutive weekly meeting online on Monday, April 13, 2020.
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To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, On behalf of all those who are incarcerated, waiting to report or are in the process of working through the criminal justice system I write this prayer letter to bring a voice to our plight. As I am preparing to report to a federal prison, I believe it’s important that we do whatever I (we) can to advocate for ourselves. “Early on in this pandemic, we learned that, as with other closed spaces such as cruise ships and nursing homes, the covid-19 coronavirus spread rapidly in Chinese correctional facilities. Now the United States, which leads the world when it comes to incarceration, faces that same challenge.” The question on the minds of those that have family members in prison or waiting to report is what the government will do to intervene on our behalf. The most common recommendation put forward by the ACLU and other organizations is to reduce the population inside prisons and avoid the reporting of any new inmates unless the circumstances of the crime warrant removal from general population. Prison reform (The First Step Act) was signed into law in 2018 in order to address some of the many issues that have plagued our system for years. Like any change in law the process is slow and the suffering of those who are most affected take much too long to implement. As the coronavirus continues to spread it has made its way into prisons and reports of infections are increasing daily. There have been numerous reports warning that this was inevitable due to the close proximity of the living quarters, where inmates share bathrooms, laundry and eating areas. As reported in the New York Times “jails experience a daily influx of correctional staff, vendors, health care workers, educators and visitors — all of whom carry viral conditions at the prison back to their homes and communities and return the next day packing the germs from back home. How will we prevent incarcerated people and those who work in these institutions from becoming ill and spreading the virus?” It’s obvious that it is impossible to avoid an outbreak in prisons even during the best of times. Personal and societal change is difficult to achieve and is generally precipitated by some traumatic event such as COVID-19. This is especially true when it comes to laws that have been baked into our judicial system for many years. This pandemic is a national emergency that affects everyone. For those of us who are desperate to see change it is time that government and those that truly believe in criminal justice reform take immediate action to avoid the growing disaster that is happening in our nation’s prisons. For nonviolent offenders with low risk of recidivism there are other options that must be considered in order to avoid causing further harm. In a letter to Attorney General Barr dated March 20th from Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congresswomen Karen Bass they demanded answers on a multitude of suggestions that were made in a March 12th letter that would help during this pandemic and have yet to be addressed. “During this national emergency, DOJ should be doing all it can to increase social distancing and decrease movement to prevent further proliferation of COVID-19. This means that the Department must limit the number of inmates being brought into the system”
When we fail to consider all the costs and consequences of our system of mass incarceration, we run the risk of making a bad situation like this even worse. The justification for protecting public safety with imprisonment must be reassessed during this time as public safety will be at even greater danger if we fail to mitigate risks associated with confining too many people in jails, prisons, prison camps and detention facilities during a pandemic. There are other options. A petition in support of home confinement to lessen camper’s exposure to the deadly COVID-19 virus has garnered over 40,000 signatures as of today. Please share. It is up to us as individuals to make sure our voices are heard and the word spreads faster than the virus itself. We can’t afford to wait for things to get better and allow people to forget what we are going through right now. Respectfully submitted, A Soon-to-be Federal Inmate
Meredith Atwood, Author & Speaker: I don’t have tons of money to donate. I don’t have genius smarts to contribute to science or financial wisdom in this time of crisis.
👉But I have a podcast, a book and a small platform to extend to anyone who is feeling rocked, lonely, sad or stuck.❤️
I am here. 😊 That is what I (and so may others) are trying to do during this time. Reach out, give time, energy, kindness and a safe place where people can come to SEE others (via Zoom: the Daily Community Meeting: swimbikemom.com/meet), or listening to comforting words: The Same 24 Hours Podcast (always available via your favorite podcast app, or https://pod.link/775943089).
☀️This morning, I spoke with my friend, Jeff Grant Rev. Jeff Grant – who I met last year after he was a guest on Rich Roll’s podcast. Jeff was a guest on my pod (Episode 112), and we have essentially become friends.
Link to Podcast:https://bit.ly/33qYBc0 I value this man’s work, story, and heart SO MUCH. I am glad to hear his comforting words, wisdom and insight during this time. About Jeff: Jeff is an ordained minister with over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law, reentry, recovery (clean & sober 16+ years), and executive & religious leadership. After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed when he was a lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary. He, and his wife and partner-in-ministry Lynn Springer, then co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. (Greenwich, CT), the first ministry in the United States created to provide confidential support and pastoral care to individuals, families and organizations with white-collar and other nonviolent incarceration issues.
