Family helps daddy have a Merry Christmas, even in prison

VIRGINIA BEACH (August 3, 2007) - - Going to prison was worse than staying there. At least for Mike Agnew, a businessman sentenced to 2 years in prison, on corrupted evidence, a federal judge with a conflict of interest who tried Mike without a jury, and powerful connections of those involved with Resource Bank which brought the case.

Mike took Katelin and Sam to school at Norfolk Academy the morning of Sept. 8, 2004. Told them his last on campus goodbye for the next 24 months. Then he headed off to prison by turning himself in to the U.S. Marshall's office in Norfolk.

The long nightmare began. For him, the kids, and wife Barbara. He started here in Norfolk and it was 12 weeks before he reached the lonely, isolated, desolate southwest Virginia mountain top, where he could indulge in its peace and tranquility, even if he wasn't free, for the rest of his 2 year sentence. At least it was easier.

Wife Barbara escaped Mike's in-transit indignity, harassment, and hard ship because she was allowed to 'self-report' directly to Camp Cupcake, the Federal Women's prison in Alderson, WV on June 6, 2006.

But her indignities and humiliation at the prison is far worse than it was for Mike. A trade off Mike probably would have accepted had he known then what he knows now.

None of it's easy, especially when you have 2 teens who would otherwise be dealing with their most confusing, complex times of growing to adulthood.

But it was something that had to be done. The ordeal helped the family grow closer, stronger. Friends, relatives helped keep the family afloat financially after Resource stripped their livelihood from them and forced their incarceration.

Katelin, the oldest, and brother Sam continued to be shuttled to prestigious Norfolk Academy where they maintained the highest academic standards despite the problems at home.

Mike basically lived in shackles for 12 weeks until he arrived at the minimum security camp in the Lee County, VA federal prison - a hard 7.5 hour drive from his home in Alanton in Virginia Beach. He got to spend major family events in prison - with or without the family.

Barbara tried to keep the family together and stable by making that 7.5 hour drive every other week - at least.

After turning himself in to the Norfolk Marshall's office, he was placed in the Chesapeake Regional Jail. Because 'Con Air,' the air travel charter that shuttles prisoner from one location to another was down he stayed in Chesapeake for 8 weeks and then was moved (you are always shackled hands and feet) to the Federal Holding Facility in Warsaw, VA for 4 weeks.

Then he was bussed to Atlanta for about a day - in the worst conditions he could imagine - before being set to Lee County.

"Getting there was the roughest part," Mike said. Although it was joked at Lee County you could break out with 'hedge trimmers,' because there were no fences - it was a cake walk to the preliminaries.

For Barbara, at Martha Stewart's alma mater in WV, getting there was easy. The real problem, the real indignities come when you have visitors.

"Every time I go see her, they take her into a room and make her strip. Then she is forced to bend over, squat with her legs apart and cough. That's the hardest part (and most unnecessary) for her," Mike said.

"I can't imagine, having to go through that every time your loved ones come to visit, but it's better, I guess than not having them visit at all," said one person familiar with prison life. "While the Agnews obviously represent the best of the best, all who are incarcerated there are not. You can never be too careful in searching for contraband."

Mike taught GED classes, even got to drive departing prisoners a hour away in the prison van so they could get into real civilization to catch buses or airplanes.

"The worst thing I experienced while in camp," Mike said, "was watching a fellow inmate die. He told officials he had diabetes, but they ignored him. He complained of problems and they told him it was just stomach pains.

"He continued to lose weight daily. One morning I got up to go to the toilet and he was sitting slumped over in a wheel chair, his head down on his chest. A few hours later he was removed and dead. He was never given any medical attention, which probably would have saved his life.

"That's rough. He came into Lee with me and then to watch him die and be powerless to help him. That's rough," Mike said.

See previous stories:

• A Tale of Miscarriage of Justice: Conspiracy or Coincidence?
• The view of the miscarriage of justice through eyes of an innocent teen: Miscarriage of Justice: Conspiracy or Coincidence - Part 2
• Miscarriage of Justice: From American Dream to Nightmare

Conspiracy? Coincidence?
What a web the story weaves.