ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The oil-services chief executive at the center of a federal investigation of corruption in Alaska politics was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison and fined $750,000.
Bill Allen, 72, testified on behalf of the government in three cases, including the trial of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, whose charges were dismissed earlier this year when the Justice Department admitted it failed to turn over favorable evidence to Stevens’ defense team.
U.S. District Judge John Sedwick said Allen’s fine would have been higher if sentencing guidelines had allowed it. Allen’s prison sentence was revised downward because of his cooperation with prosecutors and his acceptance of responsibility for the crime.
However, the judge said the money that passed from Allen to state lawmakers harmed all Alaskans and threatened the legislature as an institution.
“Democracy doesn’t work when it’s corrupted,” Sedwick said.
Allen’s trusted lieutenant, Rick Smith, a former VECO Corp. vice president, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and fined $10,000 for his role in bribing lawmakers.
