Disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been allowed to spend more than $10,000 on himself behind bars, while only paying $100 pe...
Disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been allowed to spend more than $10,000 on himself behind bars, while only paying $100 per year to a fund set up for his victims.
Nassar, 57, was arrested at the end of 2017 and in February 2018 sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison, for sexually abusing hundreds of young female athletes. He was also convicted of possession of child pornography in 2017.
He was ordered to pay nearly $57,500 in restitution to his victims - but has thus far only paid about $300 over his past three and a half years behind bars.
In the meantime, Nassar has spent a whopping $10,784 in prison on the commissary, sending emails and making phone calls.
That sum was revealed in a motion filed by prosecutors on Wednesday that seeks to force the Bureau of Prisons to turn over Nassar's current prison account balance to help cover a court-ordered payment of $5,300 to the federal Crime Victims Fund.
The motion was backed by lawyers for Nassar's victims, including Simone Biles, poster girl of Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics who pulled out of the team finals and the All Around on Tuesday, citing her mental health.
Nassar, seen in court in November 2017, has been allowed to spend $10,000 from his Bureau of Prisons account on himself, while paying only $100 a year towards a victim compensation fund
Simone Biles, 24, revealed in 2018 that she was one of more than 150 gymnasts abused by the former national team doctor (right) during his 30-year career and she later admitted that the trauma of the abuse left her suffering with suicidal thoughts
Biles on Wednesday appeared to reference the devastating impact of his actions, retweeting a message of support from a fellow gymnast which read: 'We are talking about the same girl who was molested by her team doctor.'
Although Biles, who was seen for the first time since the announcement when she stepped out to cheer on Team USA's male gymnasts in Tokyo, did not issue her own statement about Nassar or her decision to pull out of the all-around, a US official told DailyMail.com that Orris' message 'sums up everything Simone is feeling and wants to say'.
The source continued: 'The fact that Simone has retweeted it, shows that she agrees with every word that’s been said on her behalf.'
Nassar owes roughly $57,000 in restitution and a $5,000 special assessment, according to Wednesday's motion filed with US District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids.
Prosecutors said federal law requires that money Nassar receives in prison be applied to his restitution obligation.
Bureau of Prisons officials have required Nassar to pay only about $100 a year, according to court papers, or about $300 since he entered the federal prison system in late 2017 after pleading guilty to receiving and possessing child pornography.
Nassar has seen $12,825 move through his prison account over the last three and a half years, the court filing said, including two payments for COVID-19-related stimulus from the federal government totaling $2,000.
The Bureau of Prisons allows inmates to keep unlimited amounts of money in their accounts and effectively shields much of that money from collection by various entities, The Washington Post reported.
Simone Biles (pictured today in Tokyo) has hinted that the abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile doctor Larry Nassar is behind the mental health issues that pushed her to withdraw from the team and individual all-around finals
Despite the controversy surrounding her decision, Biles was seen smiling and waving to the crowds as she joined teammate Mykayla Skinner, 24, in cheering on the men's team in the Ariake arena
Nassar is seen treating McKayla Maroney at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Antwerp, Belgium
That leaves the Justice Department in the strange position of having to file court cases to force one of its own agencies to turn over money owed to crime victims or for other debts.
'The notion that anybody in the Justice Department would let this happen is just revolting,' said John Manly, a lawyer for many of Nassar's victims, including Biles.
'The timing of this, with my client being unable to compete because of what happened to her, couldn't be more upsetting.
'They're allowing the worst child predator in American history to spend thousands of dollars on himself and pay $8 a month to his victims.
'Something is completely broken and needs to be fixed.'
Nassar is currently at the Coleman II U.S. Penitentiary near Orlando, Florida.
He was originally sent to prison in Arizona, but was assaulted after three months.
Nassar was then moved to Oklahoma, and now Florida.
The four-time gold medal winner decided not to compete in Thursday's finals after consulting with Team US officials following her dismal withdrawal from the team competition on Tuesday
The 24-year-old - who had been expected to lead the US to gold in the team event - was withdrawn from the lineup after flubbing her vault in the opening minutes of the team final competition in Tokyo on Tuesday
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles was pulled out of the team final because of a 'mental issue' following a shock error on vault - leaving her forced to watch from the sidelines as her teammates suffered an agonizing defeat to their Russian rivals
'If the Bureau of Prisons isn't enforcing these policies with Larry Nassar — who is among the worst of offenders — then which inmates are held to account?' said Jason Wojdylo, who retired from the U.S. Marshals Service months ago after spending years unsuccessfully trying to convince the Bureau of Prisons to make felons pay court orders and other debts.
'The inaction of BOP inmate financial responsibility program officials is outrageous.
'This sexual predator's young victims had an opportunity to receive some financial reparation over the past three and a half years.
'Instead, BOP has enabled a nominal $25 contribution every three months toward his debt, while he presumably spent thousands of dollars on snacks and other privileges.'
Nassar has not paid any of the $57,488.52 he was ordered to give five of his victims in the child pornography case, who are identified only as Child 10, Child 11, Child 28, Child 29 and Child 30.
In addition, state court records show Nassar still owes $834 in the Eaton County, Michigan, case in which he pleaded guilty to charges of abusing children.
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