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Ray Nagin, the former mayor of New Orleans who came under criticism for his response to Hurricane Katrina, was sentenced to 10 years in prion on Wednesday on federal corruption charges.

Judge Ginger Berrigan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana handed down the 10-year sentence, telling the court that evidence failed to show Nagin had organized or been a leader of a corruption scheme. The recommended sentence was originally 15 years.

“Mr. Nagin claimed a much, much smaller share of the profits of the crime than any other member of the group,” Judge Berrigan said, referring to the businessmen who profited from the scheme. The judge said that Mr. Nagin’s leadership was much needed after Hurricane Katrina but that it had also been lagging.

If you recall, Nagin was found guilty in February on 20 counts, most relating to kickbacks from contractors looking for city work.

Nagin, a Democrat, was arrested in January 2013, nearly three years after he left office. He was charged with taking kickbacks in the form of cash, cross-country trips or help with the family-run granite countertop company; the bribes were handed out by men looking for city business ranging from software supplies to sidewalk repair. Many of the schemes, though not all, took place after Hurricane Katrina, when contractors crowded into the city for rebuilding work.

Many of those involved eventually pleaded guilty and testified at length against Mr. Nagin at his trial.

The prosecution objected the sentence and may set up an appeal.

Robert Jenkins, the lawyer representing Mr. Nagin, had urged leniency, arguing that Mr. Nagin has a “completely sterling record” outside of the convictions and that the behavior described at trial is a “complete aberration to his otherwise outstanding life.”

Nagin is currently out on bond.

SOURCE: NYT | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

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