If a person walked into a bank and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, that person would go to prison. Unfortunately, people who do the same thing wearing a suit and sitting in an office often get a pass. It is still theft...of alot of money that could be used to aid other businesses and employees that are following the rules. It is also more egregious because it is an abuse of trust, which impacts the whole profession/industy. Unequal penalties send the wrong message. In the broad view of things, this type of disparate treatment has socio-economic implications as well. Seeing another person derail is never a good thing. However, I think harsher sentences and publicized scrutiny of these type of crimes are good. In my experience with prosecuting white collar criminals, the motive is not addiction--rather it is almost always plain greed--supporting a lifestyle on the backs of hard-working citizens. I agree with Slade--make them get a job but force them to go to work everyday in an orange suit with "Inmate" written on the back. They are no better or more entitled than any other criminal in the system.