Black escapes tough sentence, gets 6 ½ years
Black received a prison sentence of six and a half years – and escapes the 20-year sentence the US government called for
Disgraced former press tycoon and chairman of
The Daily Telegraph,
Conrad Black, who was convicted on four counts of fraud and obstruction of
justice in July, for stealing $US6.1m (?3m) from shareholders’ money and
removing 13 boxes of documents, was given a prison sentence of six and a half
years yesterday.
Jack Boultbee, the former CFO of Hollinger International, the newspaper
publisher of which Black was chairman, was sentenced to 27 months and ordered to
pay $153,000. Boultbee received his sentence after being found guiilty on three
counts of mail fraud.
Amy St Eve US District Judge rejected a US government call for Black to be
given a stiffer sentence of about 20 years. Black also was fined $US125,000 and
has to forfeit $US6.1m for the fraud and obstruction of justice, according to
the Chicago Tribune.
Andrew Frey, one of Black’s appeal lawyers, said he would fight hard to
appeal the sentence and keep Black out of jail.
The judge gave Black three months to get his affairs in order before he must
report to prison on March 3. She suggested he serve his time at the prison camp
at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Further reading:
Employee expenses: a needless claim?
US prosecutors seek tougher sentence for Conrad Black
Read
story in the Chicago Tribune