There is no doubt Robert Scinto was a pillar of the community. He gave to charities, helped countless people in need, brought jobs to Fairfield County.
At the same time, he worked to undermine the foundation of the community he loved by lying to federal agents in their corruption investigation in Shelton.
That contrast led Senior U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. to sentence Scinto, 63, to six months in prison Wednesday — despite pleas from dozens of friends, family members and coworkers to grant leniency to Scinto.
Haight took into account Scinto’s good deeds, but said there is an “overarching public importance” to tell the truth to federal agents trying to do their jobs.
“The welfare of a community, or a nation, or any certain type of action where public interest is involved, depends upon that people who are asked questions by law enforcement agents tell the truth without evasion,” Haight said during the sentencing, which took place over several hours at U.S. District Court in New Haven.
Haight said if people lie to federal agents, “efforts to identify and then deal with municipal corruption … would be hampered or even defeated.”
The law is “unambiguous,” Haight said.
Scinto wept at several points during the sentencing. Many of his supporters held each other and cried upon hearing the sentence.
After Scinto serves six months in jail, he must complete six months of home confinement, during which time he’ll be electronically monitored. Following the home confinement, he’ll have another year and a half of supervised release.
He must also pay a $50,000 fine.
Scinto is scheduled to go to prison on May 24.
Scinto declined to comment outside court Wednesday, but addressed Haight during his sentencing.
Scinto Speaks
In his comments to Judge Haight, Scinto apologized for lying about what was happening in Shelton — namely that he gifted Shelton public officials with cash and, in one case, the free use of house in Aspen.
“When I met with the FBI agents, I didn’t tell the whole truth,” Scinto said, wiping away tears. “I take responsibility for that.”
Scinto was a true rags-to-riches story.
Born to a working class family on Bridgeport’s west end, Scinto’s early life was marked by a misunderstood learning disability that left him unable to read. He worked to put himself through college, and then build his successful development company in Fairfield County.
Scinto said he worked hard to pay off more than $60 million in debts during the 1990s. He paid off every penny he owed banks and contractors — because he didn’t want to let them down, he said.
Now, Scinto said: “I let so many other people down. It is tremendously painful for me because my reputation is the only thing I really value.”
“I am so sorry I made that mistake. I don’t have a great vocabulary, so I’ll just repeat myself. I’m so, so sorry,” Scinto said.
‘Cancer of Corruption’
Scinto pleaded guilty Oct. 21 to one count of lying to a FBI agent. He lied about gifts he gave to Shelton employees and officials between 1999 and 2008.
Those gifts, some of which federal prosecutors said were made to Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, included:
- A week in Scinto’s Aspen, Colorado vacation home in 2003.
- A cash payment to building inspector Elliot Wilson as certificate of occupancies were granted for Scinto development projects.
- Christmas gifts, in cash, to various Shelton city employees.
Federal agents investigating corruption in Shelton interviewed Scinto in July 2008.
Scinto’s attorney, James Cowdery, said the gifts were simply an extension of Scinto’s generous nature. Scinto didn’t receive anything in return, Cowdery said.
But federal prosecutors claim that he did — and urged Judge Haight to sentence Scinto to prison as a result.
“Mr. Scinto knew about the investigation,” Senior Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter said. “He was covering up and concealing his own corrupt acts.”
Schechter discounted Scinto’s long record of helping the community — calling corruption a “cancer” to society.
“Corruption does not help a community,” Schechter said. “What Mr. Scinto did was help to spread that cancer, not stop it … He expected something — and that’s the cancer of corruption.”
The Benefactor, The Artist, The Educator
The government’s classifications of Scinto ran askew of more than an hour worth of compliments and tales of good deeds his supporters told on his behalf. More than 100 people wrote letters to Judge Haight, asking him to go easy on Scinto because of all he’s done for the community.
About 70 people packed the first-floor courtroom Wednesday to show their support. Four spoke on his behalf.
They describe him as a man who helped people in need. A man who loves Shakespeare and supports the arts. A man who valued and promoted education for people with disabilities and disadvantages.
A giver.
“Anyone who calls on him for help gets it,” said Scinto’s wife, Barbara. “He never expects anything in return.”
Max Medina, a Bridgeport attorney, said Scinto quietly pushed for the formation of the Achievement First charter schools in the city.
Medina said it “was not a check-writing exercise.” It was a labor of love for a cause Scinto cares about — education.
Scinto’s attorney told stories about families he has helped, tuition and health bills he paid for.
Medina said jailing Scinto is like jailing needy members of the community.
“If he is removed from our community, he will not be there to field these phone calls,” Medina said. “Who knows how many lives will not benefit?”
An Attitude
Haight said the accounts of Scinto’s “lifetime of good works” were troublesome when compared to the government’s findings, especially secretly recorded conversations of Scinto.
The federal prosecutors presented the recordings as part of their argument that Scinto was trying to “own” public officials. In one conversation, Scinto was heard talking about a zoning official who wanted extra shrubs from one of his projects.
“I love it when a fucking guy asks for something like that,” Scinto said, according to Haight. “Then you own the fucking asshole.”
Haight read Scinto’s quote out loud in court — including the expletives — and noted that it sounds harsh coming from his mouth or the mouth of a respected person such as Scinto.
“It indicates an attitude on the part of the defendant on public officials, who are good to own,” Haight said of the conversation. “It’s somewhat at odds with the way he is presented and portrayed here.”
When Scinto reports to prison in May, he’ll join two other people sentenced for their part in Shelton’s “cancer.”
- Shelton building inspector Elliot Wilson reported to federal prison in Brooklyn Wednesday. He’ll serve five months for lying to a grand jury looking into Shelton. Wilson accepted cash from Scinto. No one in Shelton City Hall, including Mayor Mark Lauretti, would say Wednesday whether their jailed inspector resigned or retired from the city.
- Shelton developer James Botti is serving a six-year sentence for his conviction at trial for corruption and money structuring charges. His father, Peter Botti, Sr., is on probation.
