Martin Shkreli's Lawyer Makes a Last-Minute Plea for Mercy

(Bloomberg) -- Martin Shkreli’s lawyer made a last-minute pitch to the judge who’s going to sentence him Friday, saying his client didn’t try to create "a circus-like atmosphere" at his trial, which he blamed on a “rabid media presence" that “did its best" to disrupt the case.

In a letter to the court late Wednesday, defense lawyer Ben Brafman also argued that Shkreli can’t afford to pay an additional fine for his crimes on top of the $7.4 million in restitution the judge previously ordered. Shkreli isn’t evil and deserves a sentence of just a year behind bars, he said, adding that anything longer might be "too late for treatment" once he’s released. He didn’t say what type of treatment.

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