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An Abusive Silicon Valley CEO Is Going To Jail (cbslocal.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the millionaire-prisoners dept.

He'd sold his second online advertising company for $300 million at the age of 25. Six years later he was charged with 47 felonies. And now? "A Silicon Valley millionaire entrepreneur who avoided jail time for a domestic violence conviction in 2014 -- and had his probation revoked following another domestic violence incident -- was sentenced to a year in jail Friday after losing his appeal," writes CBS SF. An anonymous reader quotes their report: Gurbaksh Chahal, founder of online advertising companies Gravity4 and RadiumOne, sobbed while asking San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracy Brown for leniency... The 36-year-old was immediately remanded into custody after Brown declined to change her ruling. Chahal must serve at least six months of the one-year sentence. He has been out of custody on $250,000 bail...

Chahal was charged with felony domestic violence in 2013 after police say he punched and kicked his girlfriend 117 times inside his San Francisco penthouse. Security camera video evidence of the attack was deemed inadmissible after a judge ruled police had obtained it without a warrant. With no video and after his girlfriend declined to cooperate with police, Chahal pleaded guilty in 2014 to two misdemeanor battery charges of domestic violence and was sentenced to three years probation.... He was accused of violating his probation in 2016 by kicking another girlfriend in the same South Beach apartment. "Tonight he's sleeping in the big house," quipped a local TV reporter, adding "that's got to feel very different."

49 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. What a scumbag by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I doubt he’ll learn anything, but we can at least hope this might keep him from killing some future girlfriend.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
    1. Re:What a scumbag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Suuuuuuuure. Prison is a great place to learn tolerance, patience, and non violence.

      Anyway he got off with 6 months and 47 felonies. Rich and lawyered up.

    2. Re:What a scumbag by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I doubt he’ll learn anything, but we can at least hope this might keep him from killing some future girlfriend.

      At the least, it might prevent some woman from becoming his future girlfriend . . .

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    3. Re:What a scumbag by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      A video that showed him punching and kicking his then girlfriend 117 times did nothing to stop him getting another girlfriend which he kicked. Somehow I don't think him being in jail isn't going to be much more effective after he gets out.

    4. Re:What a scumbag by Tough+Love · · Score: 1, Funny

      He better keep a firm grip on the soap.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    5. Re:What a scumbag by dryeo · · Score: 2

      I had a friend that kept getting in abusive relationships, often with known abusers. Her attitude was that she was better at getting along and everything would be fine.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    6. Re:What a scumbag by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      Treating people as objects and being a psychopath are the same thing.

    7. Re: What a scumbag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      âoePresumed cultureâ? You mean American? He has lived in the US since the age of 4, after all. Or do you mean Indian, or specifically Sikh. Letâ(TM)s be nice and clear on who youâ(TM)re being racist against here.

      Look, I will grant you that violence against women does seem to be more prevalent among those from a conservative, religious background. But it doesnâ(TM)t seem to matter that much what actual culture it is, just how repressive. All that said, it seems like this is just a matter of this particular guy having anger management issues. It seems you blame that on his âoecultureâ that you despise die to your racist confirmation bias.

    8. Re:What a scumbag by ghoul · · Score: 2

      He should avoid having girlfriends. The kind of control he craves and violently lashes out if not provided, is better provided by escorts. And escorts are much cheaper than girlfriends.
      Its not only ugly and poor losers who use escorts. Many rich busy people use escorts as they do not want to spend the time nurturing relationships - their emotional connections are to the companies they found.

      --
      **Life is too short to be serious**
    9. Re:What a scumbag by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      No, but such wet towels usually learn what it's like to be on the receiving end of domestic violence.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    10. Re: What a scumbag by datavirtue · · Score: 1

      Are you new to the world? He will probably pick up a few new girlfriends while in prison. There are a number of women who stalk inmates and write to them for years, eagerly awaiting thier release.

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
    11. Re: What a scumbag by Megol · · Score: 1

      While I agree with your post the repeated â(TM) is making me insane.

    12. Re:What a scumbag by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      If I was better with English then I wouldn't have gone into Computer Science.

    13. Re:What a scumbag by mikeiver1 · · Score: 1

      There is a very high likely hood that the next time he will simply kill the woman outright. The dead don't testify.

    14. Re:What a scumbag by Kartu · · Score: 1

      He could have learned things, and been set up the second time, unless I'm misreading the article.

    15. Re: What a scumbag by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Look, I will grant you that violence against women does seem to be more prevalent among those from a conservative, religious background.

      That would be "white, American, church-going"?

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  2. Only in America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Welcome to the U.S., where a rich person going to jail is news.

    1. Re:Only in America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Welcome to the U.S., where a rich person going to jail is news.

      This is a global thing, it isn't just the United States.

    2. Re:Only in America by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      And in China and Russia, you don't even have to commit a crime to get hauled off to jail!

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    3. Re:Only in America by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Have they got plea bargaining?

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    4. Re:Only in America by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      And in China and Russia, you don't even have to commit a crime to get hauled off to jail!

      Yes you do. They just have different crimes.

      An American is four times more likely to be arrested and incarcerated than a Chinese citizen, and 18 times more like to be imprisoned than an Indian.

    5. Re:Only in America by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      China's jails would make US jails seem like Intercontinental hotels, and China convicts 99.9% of all defendants, so if you are even close to the line - don't cross it, you WILL end up in a shit-hole...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    6. Re:Only in America by ghoul · · Score: 1

      Goes to show China does not prosecute unnecessarily and force people to take plea bargains. Also if you are going to incarcerate 10% of your population which means 50% of your population has someone they know in jail, the jails have to be decent or the populace will revolt. If only 2% of the population is going to jail you can get away with disgusting jails.

      --
      **Life is too short to be serious**
    7. Re:Only in America by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 2

      Of course, in China they often times don't end up in jail but just disappear. No one knows - officially - what happens. There are at least 125,000 not officially jailed, but being re-educated. In prisons that are forced labor camps.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    8. Re:Only in America by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 2

      Oh, and those totals don't include the 1 million plus held in "re-education camps" within China. No, that's not prison - that's just a protective space for you to learn how to think right.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    9. Re:Only in America by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Of course, in China they often times don't end up in jail but just disappear. No one knows - officially - what happens.

      We know what happens. They get broken up for spare parts like old cars.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re: Only in America by datavirtue · · Score: 1

      Uh. News flash. It's even more rare outside the US. McAfee killed his neighbor and then ran for president for fucks sake.

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
    11. Re:Only in America by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      In prisons that are forced labor camps.

      This written with a sense of self-awarness for your own country?

    12. Re:Only in America by ghoul · · Score: 1

      In the US too they often dont make it to a trial court. They get shot down like animals. And the cops in the US dont even have the sense of shame to try and hide it.

      --
      **Life is too short to be serious**
  3. Faye Weldon wrote it best... by magusxxx · · Score: 1

    "Ordinary people are impetuous and err by accident. The middle class err by design. Therefore the penalties should be doubled, not halved." - Ruth (The Life and Loves of a She-Devil)

    --
    Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    1. Re:Faye Weldon wrote it best... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I assure you, that man has no self control and does not "err by design". The entire description screams psychopath, narcissist and zero impulse control.

  4. Psychopaths need to die by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    One year ? Not enough. This scumbag needs to die in jail, and every single one of his offsprings needs to be sterilized, now.

    Psychopaths are the plague of humanity. They are the cause of 99% of all the pain, suffering and bloodshed on the planet. ruthless, cold, heartless CEOs, drug lords, war lords, religious cult leaders, members of criminal biker gangs, mafia, dictators, etc. All psychopaths.

    The psychopathic genetic filth must be expunged from the human genome for our species to have any chance of ever finally and completely emerging from its barbaric and savage animalistic roots.

    1. Re:Psychopaths need to die by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      99% of the suffering comes from failures of the systems we create

      You leave me out of this. I didn't create any of this mess.

    2. Re:Psychopaths need to die by bluegutang · · Score: 1

      What does this have to do with psychopathy? Lack of anger control is not the same thing as psychopathy. There are plenty of psychopaths who are not domestic abusers, and vice versa.

    3. Re:Psychopaths need to die by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The psychopathic genetic filth must be expunged from the human genome for our species to have any chance of ever finally and completely emerging from its barbaric and savage animalistic roots.

      Remember the old adage about how power corrupts? It's not genetic. It's opportunistic. If we want to stop it, we have to make it not a valid strategy. Probably with the fourth box.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:Psychopaths need to die by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What does this have to do with psychopathy? Lack of anger control is not the same thing as psychopathy. There are plenty of psychopaths who are not domestic abusers, and vice versa.

      He ran an advertising company, I'm pretty sure he's at least a sociopath.

  5. Re: News for nerds? by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

    the parody is strong in this one

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  6. Re:Immigrants behave differently ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You were doing pretty good, right up to this part:

    There's a problem -- and it seems few liberals have the sense or the strength of character to admit this, with their idiotic "kumbaya" attitude.

    Where you seem to have gone batshit crazy. Does Faux and Friends feed you this crap? Did your mother teach it to you? I wonder. I bet you don't talk like this in front of her.

    Or like this:

    ... when a drunk Mexican driver kills someone you love, you'll see the wisdom of what I wrote.

    What kind of sick fuck wishes for people to get hurt or killed to prove his or her point? Get some help man, you're really fucked up.

  7. Money brings out the real you. by Lord+Kano · · Score: 2

    This guy would be beating women in a trailer park if he wasn't rich. The money just allowed him to delay the inevitable.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  8. Re:Immigrants behave differently ... by Tuidjy · · Score: 1

    Another example of this is that in Mexico, people driving drunk is something that is often seen. In the US we frown on drunk driving. The arrest records prove that a significant number of Mexican immigrants get caught driving drunk in the US.

    Where are you getting that information? I just checked California's DUI statistic for 2010.

    Hispanics are slightly over-represented among males, with 48% versus the expected 42%. That over-representation is less than the over-representation of Blacks among both genders, Whites among women, etc. but even those are not all that impressive. The only over-representation that is really noticeable is that of mixed race males, and that of Native Americans and Alaskans.

    If you go by national statistics, the picture is not very different (using data from 2016) Natives Americans, Native Alaskans and mixed-race people are over-represented, but a very small part of the total. Most races are slightly over-represented, but no more that can be accounted by the significant under-representation of Asians.

    And finally, by self-reporting, Whites are the ones who claim to drive drunk the most. I personally think that self-reporting is bullshit in general, so as far as I can tell, the data suggest only two things:

    1) Asians can't drink much, know it, and don't drive under the influence.
    2) All other major ethnicities DUI at the expected rates.

    So basically, you are spouting ignorant bullshit.

    --
    No good deed goes unpunished...
  9. Re: Immigrants behave differently ... by that+this+is+not+und · · Score: 1

    Do the Republicans pay people like you to stink things up so much?

  10. Justice system by g01d4 · · Score: 1

    Security camera video evidence of the attack was deemed inadmissible after a judge ruled police had obtained it without a warrant.

    That always bothered me about the American legal system. Depending on the nature and type of evidence it's possible that withholding it does not serve justice. If evidence is obtained illegally then a judge should decide whether it should still be admitted and require the party who violated the rules to be fined or otherwise disciplined so they'll have an incentive not to do it again. Withholding legitimate (per the judge) evidence, no matter how it was obtained, can affect justice. Thus in this case the video should be admitted and the police who obtained it without a warrant should be fined several thousand dollars.

    1. Re:Justice system by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      I would prefer this than an abusive police state where they can dig anything on you including PC and phone user and everyone is in a state of fear. This guy is a scum bag no doubt and I have little empathy as he lived the good life that many of us could only dream of.

      Cops already are pulling over folks with shitty cars to do illegal searches as saying no is reasonable cause. This is now changing too as it was used to discriminate against African Americans.

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    2. Re:Justice system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Asking seriously: It sounds like you're saying that the only legal remedy available is disbarment. Why can't a prosecutor be indicted if they behave in bad faith? What law(s) are you saying they are exempted from? Thanks.

    3. Re:Justice system by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That always bothered me about the American legal system. Depending on the nature and type of evidence it's possible that withholding it does not serve justice.

      It serves the broader definition of "justice", even if you feel that justice isn't being done in the specific instance you're looking at.

      The US constitution, and the laws that stem from that, guarantees that people are innocent until proven guilty. Our legal system also protects against search and seizure when there's not sufficient probable cause. In the original case, the woman who got kicked was unwilling to cooperate - so what do we have? Only the word of the police, who screwed up and did not follow proper procedure in the first place.

      I don't want to live in a country where the word of a policeman legally counts more than my own word. I don't want to live in a country where my belongings can be seized and held without a warrant. I want my police to be held to a higher standard, because we've granted them a lot of power. Yes, that may mean the occasional scumbag walks away from a crime - but it beats the alternative. We've seen it over and over - people with too much power tend to abuse that power... even well-intentioned people.

      (I realize that this whole argument somewhat ignores recent history, what with secret FISA courts and secret Executive Orders - that's a whole other can of worms)

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    4. Re:Justice system by bluegutang · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The point is to deter the police from illegally collecting evidence the same way next time.

      As an alternative, perhaps the evidence should be accepted, but the police officer who collected should go to jail. I think that would be even less popular with the police, though.

  11. Re:Was he by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

    I think you forgot to post as AC.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  12. In 6 month he can get jail raped 180 times by elcor · · Score: 1

    That judge is getting high fived by every woman in her neighborhood. And also free lunch, free coffee and 0% APR financing for life!

    1. Re:In 6 month he can get jail raped 180 times by Kartu · · Score: 2

      Good job justifying rape, stranger.