MIAMI, March 29 (UPI) -- Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced in U.S. federal court to nearly six years in prison for fraud in connection with the purchase of casino ships.
The sentence, handed down Wednesday in a federal court in Miami, was the minimum possible under his plea agreement in the case, WFOR-TV (Miami) reported.
Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire-fraud charges in connection with the 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casino gambling fleet. He and a former colleague, Adam Kidan, admitted to concocting a fraudulent wire transfer to make it appear they had made a large cash contribution to the deal.
Abramoff has also pleaded guilty to three federal charges as part of a corruption investigation that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides -- including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, WFOR reported.
More than 260 people -- including rabbis, military officers and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. -- wrote letters urging a federal judge to be lenient in sentencing Abramoff in the fraud case.
