Chapter 7 - The Collapse of an Empire
The jury deliberated for less than ninety minutes.
When they walked back into the courtroom, the air was crackling with tension.
"Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?" Judge Sterling asked.
"We have, Your Honor," the foreman replied, standing up straight.
He opened the paper slip and read the decisions in a clear, resonant voice that echoed into every corner of the room.
"On Count One, Unlawful forced entry onto a military reservation: We find the defendant, Lenora Mercer, GUILTY. We find the defendant, Brooke Mercer, GUILTY. We find the defendant, Daniel Mercer, GUILTY."
"On Count Two, Felony home invasion: GUILTY for all three defendants."
"On Count Three, Aggravated assault on a service member: GUILTY for Brooke Mercer and Lenora Mercer."
"On Count Four, Criminal conspiracy to commit extortion: GUILTY for all three defendants."
Lenora collapsed onto the defense table, letting out a sharp, hysterical shriek before her attorney tried to quiet her. Brooke burst into violent, uncontrolled sobbing, burying her face in her hands. Daniel Mercer simply sat staring at the floor, his eyes completely hollow, his spirit entirely crushed.
Two weeks later, the sentencing hearing delivered the final blow.
Judge Sterling showed no mercy.
For her role as the mastermind of the extortion plot and the solicitor of physical violence, Lenora Mercer was sentenced to twelve years in federal prison without the possibility of parole.
For felony assault and home invasion, Brooke Mercer was sentenced to eight years in a federal correctional facility.
For criminal conspiracy, trespassing, and accomplice to home invasion, Daniel Mercer was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Because their crimes were federal offenses committed on a military installation, there was no early state parole. They would serve eighty-five percent of every single day of those sentences behind bars.
Furthermore, the court issued a asset forfeiture order: to pay for the court costs, restitution for my medical bills, and damages to government property, Daniel’s remaining business assets and Lenora’s personal property were seized and auctioned off by federal marshals.
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The sprawling suburban mansion in Greensboro was placed on the foreclosure block. The luxury cars were towed away. The designer clothes, the pearl earrings, and the country club memberships vanished as if they had never existed.
The parasitic empire Lenora had spent fifteen years building on the blood and memory of my mother was completely dismantled in less than ninety days.
