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.

To contact the reporter on this story: Patricia Hurtado in Federal Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net.

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