June 26, 2006

Honorable James Whittemore

Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 North Florida Ave.
Tampa, Florida 33602

Honorable Whittemore:

I am writing this letter on behalf of Colonel Tommy Spellissy because I feel a real injustice has been done and my hope is that you will see the lack of evidence presented in this case and set aside the verdict. I have known Colonel Spellissy and his family for over twenty years and write this letter to you because I know that Colonel Spellissy is not guilty of the charges brought against him and his company; Colonel Spellissy is a decent and more important and honorable man that who served with distinction for almost thirty years at some of the highest levels of our military. I also humbly ask you to consider the facts and lack of facts that were brought to light in the trial:

• Bill Burke testified that he worked for Tom Spellissy’s company part-time, and that the money he received was for work performed as part of a contract. He simply was paid money for work performed, not for preferential treatment.

• Bill Burke testified in court that he never accepted a bribe from Clolnel Spellissy and was never asked by Colonel Spellissy to do anything illegal, or inappropriate on his behalf or for SDI.

• Bill Burke’s own government supervisor, Jim Pettigrew, testified that he investigated Bill Burke’s work and found no evidence of preferential treatment or wrongdoing regarding Colonel Spellissy or SDI.

• Bill Burke pleaded guilty because of both, pressure brought to bear by the government and he because he lacked the financial means to mount a defense. He simply couldn’t afford to defend himself in a court trial and the FBI and prosecutor knew it. Bill Burke testified that he was coerced into making statements that he later retracted during testimony.

Your honor, please look at the facts presented and you will have to come to the conclusion that there are more than enough grounds to set aside this verdict. Colonel Spellissy’s defense team failed him, they never defended him in court and now that has fallen to you. You are the voice of reason and impartiality in the court room, the person charged with keeping the scales of justice in balance, justice was not done in this case. I implore you to look at the overwhelming lack of evidence presented to reach the standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” and set this verdict.

Respectfully yours,

Kerry Adams