No jail time for Zorich
Former Chicago Bears and Notre Dame star Chris Zorich “paid it forward” by devoting his off-field life to charity.
Now, a federal judge has paid him back.
Convicted in March of failing to file tax returns on income of $1 million, a relieved Zorich was spared a potential prison term Friday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Martin, who cited Zorich’s otherwise “exemplary life” of “good works” in sentencing the 44-year-old to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Zorich, who earlier had pleaded guilty, was lavished with praise Friday during an unusually non-confrontational sentencing hearing.
Even prosecutor William Hogan — who wanted Zorich jailed for 10 to 16 months — described Zorich’s public disgrace as a “sad case,” noting Zorich’s tough upbringing on the South Side, his successful football career as a defensive tackle at Notre Dame, the Bears and the Washington Redskins, and his extensive charity work.
Evidence in the case showed that Zorich’s life began to fall apart in 2002, when he got divorced and failed the bar exam and when his cousin, who’d administered his charity, The Chris Zorich Foundation, died of cancer.
The foundation — which helped needy families with turkeys at Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day gifts and scholarships to Notre Dame — failed to file a required annual report that year and was later stripped of its registration by the state.
But it continued to receive donations — and to pay Zorich, who failed to report that income and also money he earned from the Bears, Notre Dame and a Chicago law firm between 2006 and 2009.
Defense attorney Matthias Lydon said Zorich is broke and has gone through “serious financial hardship” since agreeing to pay back the $71,000 he owes the IRS.
Martin reassured Zorich that his background meant “this is not a case where anyone is out for blood.”
Saying he was impressed by Zorich’s “very sincere remorse” and that most of Zorich’s “very impressive” charitable work had been done “away from the attention of the media,” Martin told Zorich, “I’m not imposing any jail time.”