Rosendall Gets 11 Months Prison Time
Former VP To Be Sentenced; Riddle To Decide On Plea Agreement
POSTED: Monday, November 30, 2009
UPDATED: 7:01 pm EST November 30,2009
DETROIT -- A judge has ordered an 11-month prison sentence for the man who helped federal authorities convict the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers on a bribery charge.
Monica Conyers admitted to taking money from James Rosendall in exchange for her vote when she was as a Detroit City Council member.
Rosendall, 44, was the Michigan representative for Houston-based Synagro Technologies.
In 2007, Synagro sought a lucrative $47 million-a-year contract with the city to recycle its wastewater; Conyers was the deciding voted to award Synagro the deal.
Rosendall was sentenced Monday in Detroit federal court by U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn.
The 11-month sentence was in line with federal prosecutors' recommendations.
Rosendall was also sentenced to three years supervision once he is released from prison and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.
Judge Cohn told Rosendall in court Monday, “Your conduct helped feed (the tumor) of corruption. This sentence is imposed to help shrink the tumor."
“Words cannot adequately convey the sorrow and regret I feel for what I did,” Rosendall said in an apology to the court. "I tarnished the good name my father and grandfather worked for. Above all, I helped stain the good name of a city."
Rosendall cooperated with the FBI's investigation of City Hall corruption by secretly taping other people entangled in the scandal. Federal prosecutors said their case would not have been as strong without Rosendall's help, which prompted the judge to grant what is called a downward departure from sentencing guidelines. He had been facing up to five years in prison.
Rosendall will report to a yet to be identified federal prison no earlier than Jan. 10.
Synagro’s contract with Detroit was rescinded after Rosendall's guilty plea in January.
Conyers is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Conyers' former aide, Sam Riddle, decided Monday not to take a plea deal in the case. He now heads to trial.
Riddle is also accused of accepting bribes from Synagro, to help the company win that contract.
Previous Stories: - July 13, 2009: New Charges in Synagro Scandal Imminent
- June 22, 2009: Detroit Looks At Pay-To-Play Ordinance
- June 18, 2009: Guilty Plea Entered In Sludge Probe
- April 19, 2009: Mich., Others Scrutinize Syangro
- January 29, 2009: Detroit, Synagro Call It Quits
- January 29, 2009: Council Wants To End Synagro Contract
- January 29, 2009: Riddle Denies Part In Synagro Scandal
- January 28, 2009: Names Emerge In Synagro Scandal
- January 27, 2009: Rosendall Terminated From Synagro
- January 26, 2009: Union Wants Synagro Contract Thrown Out
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