Las Vegas, NV (AP) - A former federal official who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in corruption and tax-related fraud cases has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by a federal judge in Las Vegas who said the defendant’s conduct undermined democracy.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon told 50-year-old Frederick Leavitt of Henderson that some people already distrust government and that the problem is worsened when public officials accept bribes and personally benefit from their government positions, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Leavitt was sentenced Monday after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The sentence included an order that the former Bureau of Reclamation official pay $704,002 in restitution.
Prosecutors said Leavitt schemed to defraud the government while awarding government auditing contracts and by conspiring to file fraudulent tax returns for businesses while he worked for an accounting firm.