Federal Judge John Sedwick will hand down sentences for former Veco chief Bill Allen and his lieutenant Rick Smith next week as scheduled. About time.
Allen had asked the judge to delay his sentencing. Again.
There was no reason to do so.
Seven times federal prosecutors had sought and received sentence delays. The two men were cooperating with the government's continuing investigation, so they continued to remain free.
But Bill Allen and Rick Smith can cooperate just fine from federal prison.
This time, prosecutors said "enough delays" and Judge Sedwick agreed.
Prosecutors are seeking 46 months in prison and a $750,000 fine for Allen, and 42 months and a fine of between $7,500 and $75,000 for Smith.
The two men should be facing more prison time than that. They were ringleaders of a pervasive corruption scheme, yet they face shorter sentences than former House Speaker Pete Kott received for taking relatively penny-ante bribes.
In seeking the sentencing delay, Allen maintained that the full value of his cooperation -- presumably to be paid in the coin of reduced prison time -- can't be measured until investigators have finished their corruption investigation.
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