Reminds me of a great (now-deleted) tweet I saw a few years ago: "Everything is legal if you scale it up." Convert the cash to assets, then convert the assets to political clout---at that point the cash heist is in the rear-view mirror...
"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." - Voltaire
Plenty of current examples from all types of states.
He or she was talking about the deaths in siviet goulags.
It also allows for selective prosecution. You prosecute some individuals for something everyone does as a punishment for totally unrelated matters.
It's very effective.
Putting wealthy people in jail doesn't normally happen. And even when it does happen, their stays usually aren't half as bad.
This particular dude plead guilty... and his sentence? "The sentence was 43 days in prison and a $250,000 fine". Most states won't even transfer you to prison for a month and a half, they'll just keep you in jail. And not only that, but he was able to get out early because he gave money to charity.
I've known folks get put in jail for not being able to afford child support. Many folks spend that long in jail just awaiting trial.
When and how does this stuff catch up with them in the end?
This is the same line of thinking that we all apply for things such as "Karma".
Just because we believe we live in a just world, it doesn't make it so.
It is why crucial for people to remain vigilant of legal loopholes and apply political pressure to make any changes.
As citizens, we have more power than we realize.