Abramoff sentenced

Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced Wednesday to five years, 10 months in prison by a federal judge for his role in a fraud scheme with a former partner during their purchase in 2000 of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

Abramoff, 47, and ex-partner Adam Kidan, 41, received the same sentence, the minimum under federal guidelines. U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck also ordered them to pay restitution of more than $21 million.

Huck said they won't have to report to prison for at least 90 days so they can continue cooperating in a Washington corruption investigation and a probe into the killing of former SunCruz owner Konstantinos Boulis. Both deny roles in the killing.

They earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud for concocting a $23 million wire transfer to make it appear they were contributing a sizable stake of their own money to the $147.5 million SunCruz purchase. Based on the transfer, lenders Foothill Capital Corp. and Citadel Equity Fund Ltd. gave the pair $60 million in financing.

The minimum sentence? Can't you get about that much time for smokin' a few doobs? Without the $21 million fine, of course. Randy Cunningham got eight years and four months, after all, and he's not expected to live that long. But a strapping young crook like Abramoff only gets five years? I shouldn't be too hard on the guy, though. Abramoff has dealt with Florida, but still has to face some charges in DC.