Variety reports that Bryan Zuriff, former executive producer of Ray Donovan, escaped jail and was sentenced to six months of home confinement.
Bryan Zuriff was indicted last April as one of the 34 people involved in a gambling ring with alleged connections to the Russian mafia.
Although the case prosecutors had recommended that Zuriff serve 6 to 12 months in jail “to deter both the defendant and the public at large,” the final sentence ended up being six months of home confinement, plus two years on probation, a $20,000 fine and 300 hours of community service.
In July, Zuriff was the first of the 34 indictees to plead guilty, although he stated he had no knowledge that there were any connections to the mob. Following the plead, he stepped down from his role as EP on Showtime’s Ray Donovan.
When he was arrested, the producer highlighted a “silver lining” of the whole situation: it would give him the opportunity to be away from any computers and his addiction to online gambling, which he had reportedly been treating for several months.
Earlier this month, the Showtime drama’s star, Jon Voight, and directors Peter Berg and Judd Apatow, had asked for lenience. However, the case prosecutors still recommended jail time, even though in the end Zuriff was able to escape that.
“Mr. Zuriff accepts full responsibility and has paid his fine for online gambling. We are grateful that the sentence demonstrates the judge’s recognition that Mr Zuriff was never involved in organized crime,” said Charles Clayman, Zuriff’s defense attorney, “He is now prepared to continue his life as a producer of excellent TV shows and movies.”