Chapter 7 - The Grand Juror's Arrival
The silence that fell over the commencement rotunda was so complete that the distant hum of Manhattan traffic sounded like a roar.
Richard’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly, his eyes wide and vacant as if he had just been struck by a high-voltage current.
Evelyn staggered backward, her expensive burgundy shawl slipping from her shoulders and landing unnoticed in the dirt near the marble planter.
Alyssa burst into hysterical tears, covering her face with her hands as high-definition camera lenses snapped hundreds of photographs of her public breakdown.
"That... that is an outrageous fabrication!" Richard finally choked out, his voice trembling violently.
"The probate court approved all trust distributions! I am a respected managing director on Wall Street!"
"Actually, Mr. Sterling, you are a target of a federal grand jury indictment," a deep, authoritative voice announced from the main entrance.
Four plainclothes investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, flanked by agents from the New York State Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Bureau, walked through the double doors.
Leading them was Special Agent Miller, holding a thick stack of red-stamped federal arrest warrants.
The university security officers immediately stood at attention, clearing a direct path toward the defense table where the Sterling family huddled in terror.
"Richard Sterling and Evelyn Sterling," Agent Miller stated, stepping directly in front of the disgraced couple.
"Pursuant to a sealed indictment returned by the Southern District of New York, you are under arrest for federal mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and custodial embezzlement of a minor’s trust fund."
Agent Miller displayed the signed arrest warrants, turning the pages toward the gathered press corps.
"Our forensic accounting division has tracked the four point two million dollars stolen from Sophia Hayes’s trust through fourteen offshore shell companies in the Cayman Islands."
"The funds were used to purchase your private yacht in Montauk, pay for Alyssa’s luxury London apartment, and settle your private gambling debts at Atlantic City casinos."
"You also submitted falsified death and custody relinquishment documents to the Internal Revenue Service to evade capital gains taxes."
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Two federal agents stepped forward with heavy steel handcuffs, their ratchets clicking with a loud, unforgiving metallic snap around Richard’s wrists.
Evelyn screamed hysterically as her hands were pulled behind her back, her diamonds catching the flashing strobe lights of thirty photojournalists documenting her ultimate disgrace.
