Interior official sentenced to 10 months

Court Alerts

[##_1L|1135163629.jpg|width="130" height="92" alt=""|_##]The former second-ranking official at the U.S. Interior Department was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal. U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle rejected pleas for leniency from J. Steven Griles, the former deputy interior secretary, and handed down the sentence for a felony conviction of obstructing a Senate investigation into the corrupt lobbyist, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Griles, the highest ranking official convicted in the scandal, pleaded guilty in March to charges of lying about his relationship with Abramoff.

"This has been the most difficult time in my life," Griles said before the verdict was announced Tuesday. "My guilty plea has brought me great shame and embarrassment. I have lost my business, my income and, most importantly, my reputation."

However, Huvelle pushed aside Griles' claims of remorse.

"You held a position of trust as number two in the Department of Interior, and I will hold you to a higher standard," Huvelle told Griles. "I find that, even now, you continue to minimize and try to excuse your conduct and the nature of your misstatements."

Related listings

  • Two plead to selling counterfeit software on eBay

    Two plead to selling counterfeit software on eBay

    Court Alerts 06/26/2007

    [##_1L|1291891670.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]Two more defendants have pleaded guilty to charges of criminal copyright infringement for selling counterfeit software with a retail value of nearly $6 million on eBay Inc., the U.S. Department...

  • U.S. Marshal "Guilty" of Selling Information

    U.S. Marshal "Guilty" of Selling Information

    Court Alerts 06/26/2007

    Jose Magallan, a Deputy assigned to the United States Marshal's  McAllen office, has pleaded guilty to two counts of exceeding his authorized access to information on a U. S. Government computer and accepting money for the information, United St...

  • Georgia Man Seeks Last Minute Clemency

    Georgia Man Seeks Last Minute Clemency

    Court Alerts 06/25/2007

    A man set to die for killing his wife and two stepdaughters in 1987 deserves to live because he has remorse for the crimes, has tried to redeem himself in prison and the prosecutor at his trial acted improperly, a lawyer argued at a clemency hearing ...

New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC

Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.

Business News

New York & New Jersey Family Law Matters We represent our clients in all types of proceedings that include termination of parental rights. >> read