Detroit-area men who sent millions to Yemen spared prison

A group of Detroit-area men opened bank accounts to move millions of dollars to Yemen, their war-torn native country. Their crime: They didn't register as a money transfer business.

Their luck: They drew a sympathetic judge.

One by one, US District Judge Avern Cohn declined to send them to prison, despite guidelines that call for a few years or more behind bars.

He noted that Yemen's financial system is a mess and its residents desperately need help.

Defense lawyers have praised the judge for educating himself about the poorest country in the Arab world and understanding cultural traditions.

"Only people without compassion" would object to the light sentences, the 95-year-old judge told The Associated Press.

"As I've been here longer," Cohn said, "I've come to the realisation that the rules are flexible at least to me."
"I can truthfully say I did not understand the laws and regulations of operating such a business."