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Lakireddy may be released two years earlier

Lakireddy Bali Reddy, 65, wants to get out of jail two years before schedule.

The Berkeley landlord pleaded guilty in March 2001 to charges of sexually exploiting minor girls, whom he used to illegally bring from his native Indian village, and committing tax fraud.

Reddy is lodged in Lompoc federal prison in Santa Barbara county and his term is supposed to end on March 9, 2008.

Soon after the sentence was announced, it was revealed that a court translator, Uma Rao, had told victims to add to their stories, while another sent a letter to a judge asking for tough punishment for Reddy.

Following the revelation, Reddy's lawyer, Ted Cassman, filed papers on September 18 requesting US District Judge Claudia Wilken to reduce the prison term.

Reddy's conviction and sentence were fair despite the alleged tampering, said Assistant US Attorney Stephen Corrigan, who approved Cassman's request.

Wilken is expected to make a ruling on the request on October 28.

The charges of tampering crippled the prosecution's case and Reddy's relatives, who were also sentenced, got away with lighter punishment.

One of his two sons, Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, pleaded guilty on June 26 to charges of immigration fraud. A sexual misconduct charge against him was dropped as a result of the interpreters' actions. He is likely to be sentenced in November.

Reddy's younger son, Prasad Lakireddy, has requested that all 21 charges against him be dismissed. In an interview with rediff.com, Prasad emphatically said he was innocent. His trial is scheduled for January 6, 2003.

Also serving time for immigration fraud from the Reddy family are Vijay's uncle Jayaprakash and aunt Annapurna, who pleaded guilty two days before Reddy. Annapurna got six months of home monitoring, while Jayaprakash has to complete a year in a halfway house.

The family's activities came to light when one Chanti Prattipati (17) died of carbon monoxide poisoning in an apartment belonging to Reddy on November 24, 1999. She was pregnant with Reddy's child.

Her sister, who was also in the apartment, survived.

The Reddy Scandal: The Complete Coverage

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