"Please use mercy in your administration of justice," wrote the developer, a real estate partner of Collins who did not mention that fact in his letter to the judge. "Clearly Chris has made mistakes but he is a good, honest man who has served his community and country with integrity."

The vast majority of the people who wrote to the judge disagree.

Lynn Gatto, an associate professor of education at the University of Rochester, said it would be unfair for a wealthy felon like Collins to get off easy when others do not.

"It is a fact that rich white men serve less time than poor black men," Gatto wrote to the judge in the case, who is African American. "I urge you to sentence Chris Collins to the maximum sentence. He deserves it!"

Other letter-writers said that Collins deserves even more punishment than a tough prison sentence.