Martha Stewart, founder of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire, arrived at a minimum-security federal facility in Alderson, West Virginia at 6:15 a.m. on 8 October 2004 to begin a five-month sentence. The institution, nicknamed "Camp Cupcake" by its roughly 1,050 inmates, occupies the Allegheny Mountains about 270 miles southwest of Washington and operates without perimeter fencing.
A federal jury convicted Stewart in March on charges of obstructing justice and making false statements to investigators examining her sale of nearly 4,000 ImClone Systems shares in late 2001. Prosecutors argued that her broker, Peter Bacanovic, warned her ahead of a government ruling that sent the stock price sharply lower. Stewart and Bacanovic countered that they had a standing agreement to sell if the price dropped below $60 a share.
Although a judge had permitted Stewart to remain free pending an appeal after her July sentencing, she asked to begin serving immediately to escape what she described as a "nightmare." Her legal team confirmed it would press the appeal in her absence.
Inmates at Alderson earn a maximum of 40 cents an hour and may wear jewelry valued at no more than $100. The facility has previously housed notable figures including jazz vocalist Billie Holiday. On completing her prison term, Stewart will serve an additional five months under home confinement.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.