Chantal McCorkle

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Chantal Watts McCorkle (born 1968, Slough, England) is a British citizen. Along with William J. McCorkle (formerly Gonzalez), her American husband, she was tried and convicted in 1998 in Florida for her part in a financial fraud. The McCorkles sold kits purporting to show buyers how to get rich by buying property in foreclosures and government auctions. They advertised on infomercials; among the grounds for their conviction was their representation in the infomercials that they owned luxury automobiles and airplanes (actually rented for the commercials), and their use of purported testimonials from satisfied customers, who were actually paid actors.^[1]

She and her husband, both represented by F. Lee Bailey, were each originally sentenced to over 24 years in federal prison under mandatory sentencing laws. After two appeals, the McCorkles' sentences were reduced in 2006 to 18 years.^[2]

1 Prison stay controversy
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Prison stay controversy

Chantal McCorkle has since applied to transfer to a British prison to serve the remainder of her sentence, under the terms of a reciprocal treaty with the USA. Her application was rejected in July 2006. McCorkle has the option to reapply for a treaty transfer in 2008.

As of October 2007, McCorkle remains in a medium-security prison. In contrast, her now ex-husband (an American citizen convicted of the same crime) has already transferred to a low-security "camp" prison in preparation for release. McCorkle is not eligible for transfer to a "camp" prison because she is a British citizen, and is therefore viewed as a flight risk. McCorkle's supporters have found the American government's refusal to allow her to transfer either to a UK prison, or to a "camp" prison in the USA difficult to understand.

The severity of McCorkle's sentence drew notice in the United Kingdom, both in national media such as the BBC^[3] and amongst British Politicians. On 22nd February 2005, Early Day Motion number 733 in the British Houses of Parliament^[4] debated the following topic:-

"That this House notes that Chantal McCorkle, a British citizen, was sentenced to 24 years and four months imprisonment in the United States for offences which might carry only a suspended sentence in the UK; further notes that the judge who sentenced her in 1999 expressed disquiet at the sentence that she felt obliged to give; further notes that recent cases of Blakely and Booker in the United States Supreme Court cast doubt on the sentencing guidelines then used and give grounds for an appeal; and urges the Government to support Chantal's lawyers and press the United States legal system to hear Chantal's appeal against sentence as expeditiously as possible and to ensure that no barriers are placed to Chantal's transfer to the UK to serve whatever remaining sentence she has after her appeal."

A total of 127 British MPs officially endorsed the early day motion and their American counterparts were made aware, though previous letters had already been sent by other politicians such as Lord Longford. Although subsequent representations have been made to the American judicial system e.g. by Fiona Mactaggart (an MP, and former Prisons Minister)[3] these have not been acted on.

McCorkle is currently an inmate at FMC Carswell (Fort Worth, Texas) in the United States. Her Federal Prison register number is: 23033-018. Her prison sentence expires on July 7, 2014.