Forty-two-year-old Robin O'Connor was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison and three years supervision after her release. We also heard from the team Monday about the tremendous impact on the Giants, especially the players and other employees who had their paychecks siphoned off.
O'Connor had nothing to say as she left San Francisco federal court late Monday afternoon. In court, her attorney asked the judge to allow O'Connor to spend no time in prison; she is the primary caregiver for her 6-year-old autistic son and she has a 5-year-old as well. Her husband is British and says he will take the boys to England if their mother goes to prison.
Choking back tears, O'Connor told the judge, "I cannot say how sorry I am, that I did this, that this is not who I am. I have no excuse for it. There is no excuse in the world for taking something that doesn't belong to you." She added, "I want to apologize to the Giants because I worked for an organization that I loved."
As the victim, an attorney for the Giants urged the harshest penalty for O'Connor saying, "The effect on the Giants has been tremendous ... undermining confidence in the (team's) payroll system."
The Giants and the FBI recovered more than $1.5 million she embezzled, but the team attorney said there's "$600,000 that has just gone up in smoke."
Working mostly from home on a Giants' computer, O'Connor admitted making up phony paychecks and redirecting players' tax payments, sending them to her own account. She bought a brand new BMW and a tricked-out pickup, and made payments on a second home in San Diego. O'Connor had to forfeit those cars. Her attorney admitted she was living far beyond her means.
O'Connor is scheduled to surrender June 11 to begin her prison term after the school year finishes for her boys.
