CHICAGO, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Antoin "Tony" Rezko was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for extorting millions while a top fundraiser to then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Rezko has already served about 4 1/2 years and will be credited for time served, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The businessman's lawyers argued he should have been sentenced to time served because of what they call harsh prison conditions for a white-collar criminal.
Rezko's sentence hearing had been delayed because prosecutors expected him to testify at other trials. Meanwhile, he was incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago where defense attorneys say he saw just 1 hour of day outside his cell and had his meals pushed through a slot.
"The only reason Mr. Rezko has had to endure such conditions is because the government asked him to delay his sentencing for nearly four years," his attorneys wrote in a recent filing.
Prosecutors wanted Rezko behind bars for 11-15 years.
Rezko was convicted in 2008 on 16 counts, including fraud, bribery and money laundering.
