Paul Manafort, former political consultant and campaign manager for Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 47 months in prison for tax evasion and bank fraud.
On Thursday, Virginia judge Judge TS Ellis delivered one of two sentences against Manafort.
Next week another judge in Washington will announce her sentence, which could leave Manafort, who turns 70 next month, in prison for the rest of his life.
He was convicted and sentenced for defrauding banks and evading taxes on millions of dollars he made from a lucrative career in consulting, mostly for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who is now in exile in Russia.
The charges were uncovered by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation when it began looking into Trump campaign ties with Moscow.
Mr Manafort did not co-operate as a witness but his money-laundering schemes and affiliations with Russia helped the Mueller team to uncover the network.
Prosecutors had called the charges against Manafort "serious, longstanding and bold”, and asked for a sentence between 19 and 24 years.
“Paul Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars," the wrote.
"The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes."
Addressing the judge during the sentencing on Thursday, Manafort said he appreciated the proceedings
"You bent over backwards to give me a fair trial," Manafort said. "Thank you for a fair trial."
The eight crimes for which he was sentenced included five convictions of tax fraud between 2010 and 2014, hiding foreign bank accounts from authorities in 2012, and fraudulently gaining more than $4 million from to banks in loans intended for real estate, CNN reported.
Manafort worked with the Trump campaign between March and August 2016 and took part in the Republican national convention.
He was arrested by the FBI after being indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2017 on charges of conspiracy and money laundering.
Since then his health has deteriorated and he has attended two of his court hearings in a wheelchair or a using a cane.
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Ken Gude, a legal analyst based in Washington, said that Mr Manafort’s sentence was “a richly deserved outcome for a man who helped one of the worst politicians of this era to steal millions from his own people".
"His prosecution for numerous crimes that were essentially hiding in plain sight appears to have awoken the Department of Justice to the need for greater enforcement of these kinds of white-collar crimes," Mr Gude said.
Asked about the impact on the Muller investigation, he said the sentencing was "a significant victory for Mr Mueller, but far from his last word as we enter the final stages of his investigation of the Trump campaign's connections to Russia".
Mr Mueller is nearing the conclusion of his report, which will be submitted to US Attorney General William Barr.
Mr Trump is not expected to pardon Manafort.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Company%20Profile
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
