Raffaello Follieri seems like he’s kind of a scumbag, but his lawyer says he is to be pitied. According to Follieri’s sentencing memo (now online at TMZ), Richard Ortoli stated that his client was in fact the victim, having succumbed to the razzle dazzle of his actress girlfriend’s lifestyle.

Ortoli wrote:

When he was only 24 years old, this young man from a small city in the South of Italy found himself a successful international entrepreneur befriended by the rich and famous. In a brief period of time he was socializing with some of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world. He was surrounded by movie stars and celebrities and this young man who neither drinks nor smokes became intoxicated with it all. Unfortunately, he lacked the resources to maintain the opulent life style of his new friends. Even more unfortunately, he had almost unfettered access to hundreds of thousands of dollars with few controls on his spending ability, until it was too late. Soon he cuccumbed to the temptation.

As a result of his conduct, he has lost his business, his freedom, his reputation.

Check out the full document at TMZ, HERE.