with the FBI. Prosecutors portrayed Rosenberg as an un-willing participant in the political contribution scheme. This stood in direct contrast to Levine's sworn testimony about Rosenberg's own influence. Yet at times, Rosenberg aided Cellini's case by testifying that Cellini had never asked him to make a political contribution nor asked him for money at any time during their acquaintanceship. "Never in 30 years," Rosenberg said of Cellini. Rosenberg also claimed Levine never wanted money from him. While prosecutors contended Cellini was at the center of a plot to extort Thomas Rosenberg, the defense countered that Cellini was used by Levine and was made a scapegoat by the government. The prosecution emphasized the FBI-recorded calls between Levine and Cellini and claimed, because Cellini was talking on the phone during the time of the alleged extortion plot, it made him a willing member of the plot. The defense contended that while Cellini talked to Levine, his conversation never delivered an extortion message. "I want you to read every page of this transcript," Webb told jurors. "Cellini does not pass on the extortion message. It's not there." Evidence in court showed that the government never recorded such a call and that out of all the calls the government recorded, it did not record any whereby Levine allegedly told Cellini to deliver the extortion threat to Rosenberg. "We have no tape recording," Webb said. "We have nothing but Levine's testimony." Webb also explained Cellini wasn't in meetings when a supposed conspiracy was being planned. "'[He] didn't know what took place during them and would never have received any money as a result of the conspiracy." On November 1, 2011, the jury found Cellini guilty on two counts. After the conviction, Dan Webb filed a motion for a mistrial based on the premise a juror showed bias towards the legal system by concealing several felony records during pre-trial questioning. On January 24, 2012, Judge Zagel denied the mistrial request claiming the juror showed no legal evidence of bias. Judge James Zagel handed-down a sentence of twelve months and one day incarceration. Zagel also commented to the court how in his years on the bench, he'd never seen so many letters written on behalf of a defendant. Zagel also considered Cellini's health as well as the 364 letters he received detailing Cellini's acts of kindness to people who had no way of repaying him, and his