United States District Judge Amy Berman Jackson delayed Roger Stone’s delivery date to July 14 on Friday, after his attorneys requested an extension to September due to concerns about the coronavirus.
The Justice Department did not object to Stone’s request to report to the Bureau of Prisons on September 3, instead of June 30, according to court documents. Jackson, however, only granted Stone’s motion in part, allowing him an additional 14 days to order his affairs.
By the time Stone surrenders, it will be 75 days from the date of his original report. In addition, Jackson ruled that the terms of his release would be changed to include home confinement.
Stone’s attorneys argued that his client was operating in “exceptional circumstances arising from the serious and possibly fatal risk he would face in the close confines of a Prison Office facility, depending on his age and medical conditions,” his motion said. “The threat of exposure, given the current status of COVID-19 within the BOP facility and the lack of evidence, is compelling.”
His attorneys also claimed that the Bureau of Prisons was unable to comply with CDC guidelines necessary to keep an older man like Stone physically healthy.
TRUMP TAUNTS ROGER STONE PROSECUTORS WHO “CUT AND RUN OUT OF THE CASE”
Stone, 67, was convicted in November 2019 of charges of obstruction of justice, false statements and witness tampering, all stemming from the investigation of Robert Mueller in Russia. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison in February.
Stone had made two requests for a new trial, following revelations about the possible political bias of one of the jurors in his first case. Both motions were eventually denied.
Stone appeared on the Fox Business show “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Friday and asked President Trump to commute his sentence or grant him a federal pardon.
“I am grateful that the Department of Justice has not opposed my motion, due to humanitarian reasons and concerns about my health, to delay my imprisonment,” he began.
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Stone added: “I think this is a death sentence. I don’t think I’m going to live to see that my appeal is successful, so I have been very direct about my prayer that the President act, either with a commutation of my sentencing. I can follow my appeal and get a vindication or, of course, a pardon. That is entirely within your reach, but I would ask you to do so for humanitarian reasons such as an act of mercy and justice. I have exhausted my legal remedies, I have I ran out of money. This has taken away everything I have. My family is essentially destitute. This has been the worst week of my life. I am exhausted. “
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
