Allen sentenced to three years in prison
By KIRSTEN ADAMS
Anchorage Daily Planet
Former VECO executive Bill Allen today was sentenced in U.S. District Court to three years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine.
Chief Judge John Sedwick imposed the largest fine allowed under statutory guidelines and said he would have levied a larger fine if possible.
Allen, 72, pleaded guilty in 2006 to one count each of bribery, extortion and conspiracy and was sentenced to 36 months for each count. The time will be served concurrently. Allen also was sentenced to a three years probation following his time in federal prison.
“The nature and circumstances of this case can hardly be overstated,” Sedwick said. “Allen’s behavior threatened the foundations of our democracy, and that is a very serious offense.”
The former oil executive was the star witness in the federal investigation into corruption of Alaskan lawmakers, including former U.S Sen. Ted Stevens , Reps. Vic Kohring and Pete Kott and former Murkowski chief-of-staff Jim Clark.
The recommended sentence for Allen’s conviction was 78 to 97 months but was adjusted downward because of his cooperation in the federal investigation. Allen helped federal prosecutors obtain 10 convictions for public corruption.
Federal prosecutors asked for a sentence of 41 to 46 months but Allen’s lawyers urged Sedwick to consider a lesser sentence due to his advanced age and deteriorating health.
“I pushed it too far and I crossed the line and I shouldn’t have done that,” Allen said. “I tried to help the people of Alaska but I didn’t, I pushed them down.”
Sedwick said he arrived at the three-year sentence based on Allen’s extensive cooperation with federal investigators and the fact Allen accepted responsibility for his crimes when first approached by federal agents in 2006.
Several have made comparisons to the sentencing of Pete Kott and Vic Kohring, but unlike Allen, Kott and Kohring didn’t cooperate or take responsibility, Sedwick said. “It’s really not a warranted comparison.”
Sedwick also said one of purposes of the sentence is to discourage further offenses, and Allen is unlikely to act criminally again.
Fellow conspirator and former VECO executive Rick Smith received 21 months in federal prison and a $10,000 fine for his role in the corruption of public officials.
Allen will likely serve his sentence at a federal prison in either Sheridan, Ore., or Tuscon, Ariz.
Kirsten Adams can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Published Oct. 28, 2009
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