Reply #9: Crain's Chicago Business article.

[greatauntoftriplets]

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?rssFeed=news&id=21961

George Ryan sentenced to 6.5 years in prison


(AP) — Former Gov. George Ryan was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison Wednesday following his April conviction on racketeering and fraud charges in a corruption scandal that ended his political career in 2003 even as he gained international fame as a death penalty critic.

"People of this state expected better, and I let them down," Ryan said in a statement delivered to the courtroom before the sentencing.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a sentence of eight to 10 years. Defense attorneys argued to U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer that even a sentence of up to 30 months could deprive Ryan, 72, of the last healthy years of his life.

A jury deliberated for 10 days before convicting Ryan in April of racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and other offenses while he was secretary of state from 1991 to 1999 and governor of Illinois for four years after that.