AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A Cleveland lawyer was sentenced to four months in jail Tuesday for his part in a case-fixing scandal involving a former Cuyahoga County auditor.
A federal judge in Akron also ordered Joseph O'Malley to spend six months in home confinement, pay a $10,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service, The (Cleveland )Plain Dealer reported.
O'Malley, 45, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, apologized for his actions.
"In a blink of an eye, I changed myself from a hardworking attorney to a criminal defendant," he said.
Frank Russo, who served as Cuyahoga County recorder before winning election as auditor, has pleaded guilty to 21 counts and could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Steven Terry, a former judge in the Cuyahoga County common pleas court, was convicted in June of corruption and also is awaiting sentencing.
O'Malley was a longtime friend of Russo and worked for him as both recorder and auditor.
