WASHINGTON, Nov 13, (AFP) -A disgraced former US congressman who stashed 90,000 dollars in his freezer was sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
William Jefferson, a Democratic lawmaker who represented a district in the southern state of Louisiana that included part of New Orleans, was convicted in August on 11 of 16 counts, including bribery, money laundering and racketeering involving businesses in Africa. The 13-year prison sentence, far less than the 27 years recommended by prosecutors, is said to be the longest prison term ever for a US lawmaker convicted on charges of corruption.
The previous record came in 2006, when former Republican congressman Randall “Duke” Cunningham received a prison sentence of eight years and four months for accepting bribes from defense contractors. |
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