Randy Credico, witness against Roger Stone, asks judge to spare Trump confidant of jail time

The star prosecution witness against Roger Stone implored a federal judge Thursday to spare the longtime Republican operative from jail.

Randy Credico, a radio talk show host, assailed his former friend Stone on the witness stand. But said sending Stone to prison after his conviction on charges of witness tampering, lying to Congress and obstructing evidence would be a “cruelty.”

“With all of his talent and knowledge, Mr. Stone would be an ideal candidate for participation in an alternative to incarceration program that would serve and needy organizations and distressed communities,” Mr. Credico wrote in a letter to Judge Amy Berman Jackson.

Mr. Credico testified during Stone’s November criminal trial. He told the court that Stone repeatedly attempted to intimidate him into pleading the Fifth instead of testifying before a Congressional panel.

Mr. Credico said Stone threatened to take his beloved dog, Bianca, from him

In the letter Thursday, Mr. Credico said he didn’t take those threats seriously. He added those comments shouldn’t land Stone in prison.

“I never in any way personally felt that Stone himself posed a direct physical threat to me or to my dog,” Mr. Credico wrote. “I chalked up his bellicose tirades to ’Stone being Stone. All bark and no bite!”

“Roger Stone certainly rubs a lot of people the wrong way, particularly those on the receiving end of his wee hour lowbrow character attacks,” the letter continued. “Stone enjoys playing adolescent mind games and pulling off juvenile stunts, gags and pranks. He shamelessly invents and promotes outlandish and invidious conspiracy tales.”

Stone is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20.