90% of federal cases end in a guilty plea, and only 17% of federal cases that do go to trial end in an acquittal. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06

90% of federal cases end in a guilty plea, and only 17% of federal cases that do go to trial end in an acquittal. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/11/only-2-of-federal-criminal-defendants-go-to-trial-and-most-who-do-are-found-guilty/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/11/only-2-of-f... Most likely he looks at the 20 years he's facing if convicted of wire fraud and decides to take a plea deal involving a couple years in prison.