Courts
Restaurant owner gets reduced sentence after "outpouring" of support
Posted: May 26, 2011 11:07 AM by David Ortiviz
Updated: May 26, 2011 11:11 AM
The owner of a Pueblo restaurant got sentenced to probation Thursday morning, but avoided jail time after an outpouring of support from community leaders. Tony Ianne who owns Rosario's was sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation. In February Ianne pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer crime as part of a mortgage fraud case. Under a plea agreement, 71 other criminal charges were dismissed.
Ianne could have been sentenced to jail time because conspiracy to commit computer crime is a Class 4 felony. However, the judge said "I don't think there's a useful purpose served by placing him in custody."
Ten people testified on behalf of Ianne before his sentencing, many of them are well known leaders in the community. Pueblo Chamber of Commerce President Rod Slyhoff told the judge "I found (Ianne) to be an upstanding community supporter."
City Councilman Ray Aguilera also pleaded for a reduced sentenced for Ianne. "His kindness and generosity boggles my mind," said Aguilera.
Other notable figures that spoke on Ianne's behalf included Phyllis Samora with the Pueblo chamber, Al Gurule a former City Councilman, Dave Feamster who runs the Little Caesar's Pizza chains in Pueblo, Charlie Jones the senior pastor at the Fellowship of the Rockies and Dan DeRose who was instrumental in bringing the football program to CSU-Pueblo.
"I've never seen such an outpouring of support from the community since I've been on the bench," said the judge.
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