LOS ANGELES (AP) - The last of seven former city officials involved in a vast corruption case in the tiny city of Bell, California, has been sentenced to a year in jail, most of which he has already served.
The judge acknowledged Friday that former Councilman Victor Bello was less culpable than other defendants involved in the scheme of illegally inflated salaries that nearly bankrupted the blue-collar city.
Bello was sentenced to one year in county jail, but was given credit for 340 days of time served while awaiting trial. He was placed on five years of probation, was ordered to do 500 hours of community service and pay restitution of $177,600.
A prosecutor who argued for a four-year prison term said he was glad the nearly 4-year-old case was over.
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8/1/2014 2:33:26 PM (GMT -4:00)
