Does the punishment fit the crime?

Good question, right?  We've discussed several different types of fraud and the subsequent punishments the fraudsters received over the course of the last year or so, you're left to wonder though, does the punishment the criminals got fit the crime?  Let's look at the punishment that a bank teller named Haley Petterson received for ripping off elderly bank clients...

"Haley Petterson, 21, was a bank teller. She, (and two others), pleaded guilty for her role in cashing checks and withdrawing the money from dormant accounts of older people.

On Monday, Judge Kallon sentenced Ms. Patterson to one hour in prison. She also received eight months home detention and was ordered to pay $41,800 in restitution."

Oh boy!  So she ripped off poor unsuspecting retirees to the tune of $41,800 and all she got was one hour in prison and 8 months home detention?!

Why would anyone think that's harsh?  Let's go back a few months to where we uncovered $4.5 million dollars of mortgage fraud cases that were prosecuted by the State Attorneys Office, where none of the 15 people charged received anything more than just simple probation.  With that in mind, one hour in prison certainly does sound harsh now doesn't it?!

Tomorrow we're gonna revisit those 15 cases of mortgage fraud and see what they all have in common.  Has anyone figured it out yet?