I am the first son, and oldest of my father’s (Kyle Kimoto) 6 children. I am grateful for my early childhood as I was raised in a stable and loving home, along with my younger five younger siblings. None of us ever felt unloved, unwanted, or unimportant. Our home, while not perfect, led by my parents was one that was always working toward betterment, towards more love and kindness as the years went on.
Like all families, we had our struggles, but my dad always ensured we remained cohesive and unified as a family, and I will always be grateful for great parents, including my wonderful father.
My father was always supportive of my pursuits. At first, he encouraged me to try my hand at various sports. Being an excellent athlete himself, there was no reason to expect that I wouldn’t have inherited similar gifts. Soon after signing me up for various sports teams, including playing catcher on my little league team, it was suggested by many that I “looked like a giraffe” there at home plate. It seemed I was a little less athletic than my dad, and did not really enjoy playing sports, and at the risk of disappointing my dad, I told him I was not sure that sports were for me.
Luckily for me, my dad never tied my worth to how well I performed or “measured up” to his desires of a well-rounded athletic son. No, instead of projecting his own desires on me, it was my father’s mission to find what I would enjoy and excel at be it sports or other pursuits.
With the encouragement of my dad, I found my strength. It was in music. Not only was I blessed with great support and encouragement from my father, but went out of his way to ensure I got the opportunity to train with great vocal and piano teachers. My dad always knew what I could be and was loving enough to spend his time encouraging the potential that he saw in me. He always knew I could be great at whatever I set my mind to and I will forever be grateful for that lesson.
My dad may not have been a perfect man, but he was my dad and he always tried to be a good man, a good father, a good husband, etc. Through the years he has taught me that life is a process. As corny as it sounds, he taught me that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down but how many times you get up. He’s always seen my strengths and has shown me the inner moral strength I possess.
I’ve always wanted to be more like my dad, and am humbled that he has told me he wants to be more like me. What an amazing blessing to have a person in my life who loves me unconditionally, always wants what is best for me and has helped me shape a vision of what I can become. In addition I love my dad for teaching me to have an attitude of service, encouraging me to always look for ways to serve others around me along this journey of life.
I was just nine years old when my father’s business was shut down by a civil lawsuit brought by the Federal Government. I remember being at a Cub Scout den meeting with my mother and fellow Cub Scouts when federal agents raided our home with a door ram and fully automatic weapons, apparently enforcing a search warrant for “documents” related to my dad’s company. I later learned the same scene played out at my dad’s offices, with all his office employees herded together at gunpoint and held for hours by heavily armed federal agents. HOW YOU CAN HELP
The Government accused my father’s business of “deceptive marketing”, which may surprise most as to why the show of force was so necessary, all for a civil lawsuit. My family learned the hard way that there is really no fighting the Federal Government. They froze all my dad’s company assets, as well as all our family’s assets leaving dad and his company with no way to hire the attorneys required to fight a lawsuit of this size. While all Americans have the right to an attorney in CRIMINAL court, there no such right in a Civil Case, so the game was rigged from the beginning.
My dad fought as best he could, but ultimately lost the lawsuit and everything he had. We lost all our money, our home, our cars, all our toys, everything. We packed up the clothes we were allowed to keep as a family and moved back in with my Grandparents (my father’s parents). I was devastated to leave my life and my friends but at least it was over… Or so I thought…
Nearly 7 years later my family had finally got a foothold on their finances. Through hard work and determination, my dad started over with his professional life and we had been able to move out of my Grandparents home into a home of our own. Things were looking up for my family and me personally. I was coming of age and my 15th birthday party at the Red Rock Hotel bowling alley was going to be a night to remember!
Unfortunately, working in the background, was a group of federal agents not satisfied with the pound of flesh they extracted in the civil lawsuit. The case was taken to a U.S. Attorney in Texas and he determined there was “no criminal case”. Undeterred, the federal agents brought the case to the attention of a New York U.S. Attorney who also declined to file charges. It was brought to Florida, no charges. Finally after several years of searching, and just months before the statute of limitations was up, they took the case to a US Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, who decided to file charges.
I was just starting high school at 15 when my world was suddenly and drastically changed. My father, Kyle Kimoto after doing his best to defend against the charges, sadly was found guilty (Conspiracy, Mail & Wire Fraud) on April 18, 2008. HOW YOU CAN HELP
I can remember getting home understandably shaken up and my friends heard I was back in town (as we had to travel to attend the trial) and asked if I could hang out & asking how the trial went. Over the phone I began to wail, declining the generous invite offered to me by my friends. At the time, I did not fully understand the impact of the jurors’ decision on my family, but as the years have passed I have come to know all too well the horrible impact of losing our father.
Still there was hope. Always, there is hope. We could hope for a “fair” sentence from the judge. Maybe a few years, maybe less than a year and probation if the judge was in a good mood. We were very, very hopeful. After all, even if he was “found guilty”, my father wasn’t a murderer, he wasn’t a rapist; he was a good man that I knew and loved and who knew and loved me.
On September 5th, 2008, Kyle Kimoto was sentenced to 350 months incarceration followed by five years of probation. (350 Months is the way they say 30 years in the criminal justice system.) Perhaps the judge was not in a good mood, perhaps he was in a terrible mood, but no matter the mood it is still hard to comprehend how any human being would think that 30 years in prison is a just sentence for a first time offender of a non-violent crime. HOW YOU CAN HELP
To say the least, my life changed drastically. I was forced to become the “man of the house” and spent most of my time shuttling the younger kids around to their various activities rather than spending my precious teenage time with my friends. My mother was destroyed and despondent. We received welfare from our church and the government. One of my younger sisters was hit particularly hard and had a lot of troubles coping with the loss. It has been a very rough road for all of us kids, not to mention my father.
Forgive me if I sound bitter, if I sound as though I’m playing the victim. I have experienced a lot of pain and my own bouts of clinical depression that I can’t help but notice are tied to certain past events that have happened in my life. I wouldn’t wish any of this on anyone. Even those who may “deserve” it. I have learned a lot from this experience. I have learned that I should never be quick to judge someone else, especially when I don’t have all the facts. “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)
As a Christian, I understand that everyone makes mistakes, but I also believe that everyone one of us deserves the forgiveness that Christ gave to those who crucified him. (He not only forgave them but prayed on their behalf.) While I do not think my father is guilty of the crimes he was convicted of, at this point it doesn’t matter. Whether someone thinks he was guilty or innocent, it seems we can all agree that 30 years in prison is not a fair sentence. HOW YOU CAN HELP
My dad has been gone for over 12 years now. I can’t help but wonder, isn’t that enough? Can’t more than 12 years in prison satisfy the demands of Justice? What about Mercy? I truly believe both Justice & Mercy should be balanced in a just criminal justice system.
I pray every day that I can have my dad back. I am now 27 and we have missed out on so much, I choose to keep hoping for a miracle, and ask anyone willing to help to please help us get our father back home as soon as possible. HOW YOU CAN HELP
As difficult as everything has been and as inaccessible as he is, I still have managed to feel close to him. He has been a beacon of hope and courage for my family. His spirit still lives strong and he has not been broken, and over the past 12 years I believe my dad has learned humility, patience, and long-suffering.
While prison is a dark and broken place, he does his best to be a light. He teaches Sunday school, parenting classes, and guides those who desire his help in rebuilding their lives. He learns from those who suffer and empathizes with them, like he does for me. My father sees the broken men for what they can be and not as they are. He has been refined by suffering and in many ways even transcended it.
I really believe our criminal justice system has become corrupt. Too much power has been given to too few and millions have suffered. Why is it that the United States of America has the highest prison population per capita in the ENTIRE world? Is it because more people in America commit crimes than elsewhere? Is it because the US is more “fair” than the rest of the world? Why is it that the most authoritarian countries on this planet have fewer prison inmates per capita than us? I don’t have the answer to all these questions but something has gone terribly wrong. It’s not only me, my dad, and my family who have suffered but millions of other Americans and their families. HOW YOU CAN HELP
Not only are millions of first-time nonviolent offenders (many if which may not deserve to be in prison) locked up, but they are given unfairly large sentences The average time served for murder is less than 15 years in the United States. The average sentence for rape is 10 years. Jeff Skilling, CEO of Enron served 12 years for defrauding BILLIONS. Now, does it make sense that my father should serve 30?
Please seek to correct injustice when you see it rather than signal to your friends online that you are “down with the cause”. Change doesn’t happen because of your virtue or good intentions but because of what you do.
Please write the president on behalf of my dad. Ask the president to please reduce my father’s unfair & unjust 30 year sentence. HOW YOU CAN HELP
You do not have to stop there, you can also write the President on behalf of the millions of other Americans who have been mistreated by the system. Write to your Senators, your Congressman or Congresswoman. This is something that affects each and every one of us. It costs over $40,000 a year to house each of the 2.12 million inmates in this country. There is also a tremendous additional cost of the trips for the families who visit their loved that may be imprisoned hundreds or thousands of miles away. There is also the incalculable social and emotional tolls wrought on families like mine because of broken homes caused by a parent sent to prison.
This is not to suggest that Prison is unnecessary, particularly in cases of violent crimes. It is my prayer that we can see that large excessive sentences for nonviolent crimes may ultimately do more harm than good.
This is America, a wonderful and beautiful country. But America has gone wrong in many ways and it’s hurting the most vulnerable. We have to change. We have to reform our prison system. The status quo is not acceptable and we need your help. Thank you for taking the time to read this post and may God bless you and those around you to live a happier and better life.