Imprisonment
In June 1999, Merlino was indicted on charges he conspired with the Boston mob to purchase and distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison on December 3, 2001, on racketeering charges, including extortion and illegal gambling. He was acquitted of murder charges, attempted murder, and drug dealing. "Ain't bad," Merlino said. "Better than the death penalty."
In March 2004 a federal jury acquitted him of August 2001 charges that he and Vincent Centorino (a member of the Philadelphia Mafia's North Jersey faction) had taken part in the 1996 murder of Joseph Sodano, a North Jersey capo. After Merlino's conviction, Joseph Ligambi took over as standing boss (though recent FBI developments have pointed to Ligambi being merely an Acting Boss for Merlino).
Merlino was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was released from prison on March 15, 2011. He was transferred to a halfway house in Florida and is now on supervised release. There is speculation that he will come back to Philadelphia once his parole restrictions expire.
In September 2012 the Miami Herald reported that Merlino currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
Read more about this topic: Joey Merlino
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“... imprisonment itself, entailing loss of liberty, loss of citizenship, separation from family and loved ones, is punishment enough for most individuals, no matter how favorable the circumstances under which the time is passed.”
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