The 89-year-old disgraced son of the late great dame of Manhattan society Brooke Astor was granted medical parole today on a special compassionate release program after serving just over two months in jail for swiping millions from his mother.
The state’s parole board decided unanimously to free Anthony Marshall because the members determined he was “suffering from a significant and permanent non-terminal condition, disease or syndrome.”
His parole hearing was Wednesday.
Marshall has Parkinson’s and cannot walk or use the bathroom by himself.
The decrepit swindler has been at an undisclosed hospital for at least a month and was given discharge papers at 4:30pm today. He will be supervised in New York City, according to a Department of Corrections spokesman.
The board told Marshall he was “physically or cognitively debilitated or incapacitated as to create a reasonable probably that you do not present any danger to society.”
“There is a reasonable probability that you will live and remain at liberty without violating the law.”
The parole board also considered the $14.5 million in restitution Marshall paid for robbing his elderly mom of her fortune and spending the funds on a Maine estate, a 55-foot yacht and other luxuries.
The decision noted the “sole letter of opposition” to parole was from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
“The Penal Law is age-blind, and punishes younger and older defendants alike,” the letter, submitted last week reads.
“No one would argue that any swindler who does not get caught until his 70s or 80s should avoid incarceration due to that fact.”
Marshall will be under the supervision of a parole officer through June 20, 2016—the latest possible date of his original 1 to 3 year prison sentence for grand larceny.
An attorney for Marshall declined to comment.