by Justin Paperny | Dec 12, 2012 | Blog
December 12, 2012
Last week, I conducted a lengthy interview with Advisor One Magazine. I learned they are planning to do a story on me in their February issue. I am always interested to see the angle or direction editors take in my interviews. Some, take the redemptive, feel good story approach, while others, most really, take the approach that probably attracts more viewers: "Felon out of prison gets paid big bucks to share his story", or "Ponzi Schemer shares sordid tale of crime and greed."
by Justin Paperny | Oct 5, 2012 | Blog
October 4, 2012
I feel compelled to write a blog mostly because I am shocked that so many months have passed since my last. In prison, I wrote a blog every day. Without fail, I pulled out my bic pen that I had purchased in the commissary for 38 cents, and wrote something. Now, though, I am spending most of my days speaking, and running the Michael G. Santos Foundation.
by Justin Paperny | Sep 24, 2012 | Blog
July 12, 2012
This morning I spoke with an older gentleman who is in a spot that I once knew. Byron is going to surrender to a prison camp in the next few weeks. His sentence will keep him confined for 5 years, after good time and the drug program. Naturally, he is anxious and worried about what the future holds. Like I once was, he is worried about things that in the end will not matter much. I will explain.
by Justin Paperny | Jun 26, 2012 | Blog
June 26, 2012
In prison, I embraced transparency and responsibility. I wrote openly through my blogs and book, and in so doing, tried to convey the message that I alone was responsible for my troubles with the law. Introspection forced me to accept that I could not change what had happened.
by Justin Paperny | May 23, 2012 | Blog
May 23, 2012
Recently, I was invited to keynote speak at a fraud conference in Ottawa, Canada on Oct 31. If the past is any indicator there will be a few thousand people in attendance. The group is largely made up of accountants, auditors, professors, and other business types. My talk would focus on my journey through the criminal justice system.
by Justin Paperny | Apr 9, 2012 | Blog
April 8, 2012
Last week a student asked about my co-conspirator Keith Gilabert, who until 2005 ran the GLT Venture Fund. Mr. Gilabert was sentenced to 5-years in prison for his role in orchastrating the Ponzi Scheme that helped lead to my demise. Apparently, the student was scrolling through some web pages that Mr. Gilabert had created.
by Justin Paperny | Apr 9, 2012 | Blog
April 8, 2012
I read an article in the New York Times discussing the booming prison consulting industry. Rather than seeking to improve the industry, and the worthwhile services that former prisoners could offer, the charlatans portrayed in the article did nothing but bicker back and forth about who was better.
by Justin Paperny | Mar 30, 2012 | Blog
March 30, 2012
Yesterday I participated in the 7th Annual Fraud Summit at the University of Texas at Dallas with Grant Thorton. It was a productive day, starting at 8 and ending at 5. My collaborations with Grant Thorton began in October 2011. It was wonderful to see our hard work displayed in front of about 75 participants, mostly internal auditors. Some of America's finest companies were represented in the audience, and I considered it a privilege to help educate them on ethics, fraud, and of course, the lasting consequences that follow an inattention to ethics.
by Justin Paperny | Mar 20, 2012 | Blog
March 20, 2012
My name is Justin Paperny. On May 20, 2009, I was released from the federal prison camp in Taft, California. I was 34 years old, a graduate of the University of Southern California, and a former stockbroker who built my career at Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and UBS. But as I carried out my two cardboard boxes of belongings through prison doors to meet my mother, Tallie, I understood that a felony conviction would tarnish my résumé forever. What was I going to do with the lessons I learned?
by Justin Paperny | Mar 20, 2012 | Blog
March 19, 2012
While working on my new, updated website I came across my radio interview with G. Gordon Liddy from July 2010. Then I realized I had never shared or posted it. Even though this interview is a couple of years old, the content is still relevant. Gordon and I discussed my time in prison, my friend Michael Santos, and of course, we talked about his journey through prison. On my way home from D.C. I had the pleasure of reading G. Gordon’s book, Will. I highly recommend it.
Justin Paperny
Interview with G. Gordon Liddy
by Justin Paperny | Mar 8, 2012 | Blog
On Tuesday, 21 February, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics showed signs that should concern all participants in our Straight-A Guide Program. The primary objective of the MGSF in offering the Straight-A Guide program to people in prison is to encourage them to take active roles in preparing for law-abiding, contributing lives upon release. Such preparations require us to live values-based, principled lives in accordance with what our program describes as attitude, aspiration, action, accountability, awareness, achievement, and appreciation. That disciplined path would help people in prison overcome the challenges that await their release.
by Justin Paperny | Feb 10, 2012 | Blog
During my lectures on ethics and professional development I frequently discuss the importance of perspective and learning from the experiences of others. Sometimes to make my point, I share one of philosophy's most famous fables, Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". I cannot summarize it any better than I did inLessons From Prison. So rather than try I am sharing the exact text from the book.
by Justin Paperny | Jan 27, 2012 | Blog
As of this writing the MGSF re-entry program is in more than a dozen prisons, and is working with more than 60 prisoners. Corresponding through email has proved an invaluable tool to help prisoners prepare for a law-abiding, contributing life upon release. To that end, I share the newsletter I emailed to all participants this morning. To learn more about contributing to this worthwhile cause please visit www.MichaelSantos.org.
by Justin Paperny | Jan 7, 2012 | Blog
Saturday, January 7, 2012 It has been pointed out to me the irony in my running compliance and ethics programs. After all, I was convicted of a crime and served an 18-month sentence at Taft Federal Prison Camp. Convictions aside, I am pleased at my…
by Justin Paperny | Jan 5, 2012 | Blog
Thursday, January 5, 2012 Read Lessons From Prison I just chatted with a man who is in a jam I know to well. He is preparing to surrender to prison for a sentence that will keep him locked up for 15 months and 21 days. When he called, however, he…
by Justin Paperny | Jan 4, 2012 | Blog
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 The Importance Of Friendship in Federal Prison Powering through a prison term is made easier with the help of good friends. Surely, an indictment and conviction imperils friendships, even lifelong ones. Indeed, losing some…
by Justin Paperny | Jan 3, 2012 | Blog
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Food In Federal Prison I am always asked about the food in prison. Although I only served time at Taft Camp, I can affirm that the food there was pretty decent. The chow hall offered a comfortable environment for eating. In…
