The name Andrew Weissmann evokes a chilling response from David Schoen, a lawyer intimately familiar with the prosecutor’s tactics. Schoen, known for his representation in a high-profile impeachment trial, describes Weissmann as “the single most ethically bankrupt prosecutor” he’s encountered in four decades of practice. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s the foundation of a desperate plea for clemency.
The case centers on Michael Sessa and Victor Orena, two men sentenced to life in prison in 1992. Their convictions, Schoen argues, were built on a foundation of egregious government misconduct orchestrated by Weissmann. The details are harrowing – evidence deliberately concealed, witnesses knowingly allowed to perjure themselves, and a relentless pursuit of convictions at any cost.
The core of the injustice lies in a corrupt relationship between a mob killer, Gregory Scarpa, and a rogue FBI agent, Lindley De Vecchio. Scarpa, essentially granted license to kill by the pair, instigated a fabricated “war” within the Colombo crime family to consolidate power. Crucially, Weissmann knowingly withheld evidence of this collusion, allowing Scarpa and De Vecchio to operate with impunity.
The consequences were devastating. Sessa and Orena were convicted based on tainted testimony, while every other defendant in related trials – sixteen in total, facing forty-eight jurors – were acquitted once the truth about Scarpa and De Vecchio surfaced. The Department of Justice was forced to overhaul its informant handling procedures, yet Weissmann remained untouched.
Now, decades later, the situation is dire. Victor Orena, 91 years old, suffers from advanced dementia, lost in a fog of confusion after 33 years behind bars. His medical records paint a heartbreaking picture of a man ravaged by illness, requiring constant care and barely aware of his surroundings. He is, quite simply, nearing the end of his life in a prison cell for a crime he didn’t commit.
Michael Sessa, 67, has spent over half his life incarcerated, maintaining his innocence throughout. Despite a spotless prison record, he remains trapped by a life sentence secured through Weissmann’s manipulation. Even the victim’s widow believes in Sessa’s innocence, a testament to the profound injustice at play.
The withheld evidence is damning. Police reports listing suspects in the murder for which Sessa was convicted never included his name. Witnesses reported seeing the victim alive *after* the prosecution claimed he was dead. A key witness admitted to lying on the stand, directed by Weissmann himself. The pattern of misconduct is undeniable.
Perhaps most shockingly, a Top Echelon Confidential Informant, Frank Sparaco, revealed that Weissmann knew the murder was authorized by John Gotti, not Orena. Sparaco explicitly told the prosecution that Orena had no involvement, yet this crucial information was deliberately suppressed, leading to a wrongful conviction and a lifetime of suffering.
The case has been described as “the single most corrupt prosecution in the history of our criminal justice system.” Judge Edward Korman, after reviewing the evidence, openly acknowledged that the FBI agent was actively providing information to facilitate murders. The scale of the corruption is breathtaking, a systemic failure of justice that demands redress.
The plea for clemency isn’t merely about correcting a legal error; it’s about restoring a semblance of humanity. It’s about allowing a dying man, Victor Orena, to spend his final days surrounded by loved ones, and granting Michael Sessa a chance at a life stolen by a prosecutor’s ambition. It’s a desperate call for justice, echoing through the corridors of power, demanding that these men be freed from the consequences of a profound and unforgivable betrayal.
