Utility Scandal Results in Federal Prosecutors Recommending 16-20-Year Prison Term for State Lawmaker; Others Also Charged

By B.N. Frank

American utility companies have a long history of bad behavior that directly relates to costly, ineffective, hazardous, and privacy violating utility “smart” meters (electric, gas, and water). Of course, not all American utility companies that have installed “smart” meters are being accused of illegal acts that are directly related and exclusive to “smart” meters. This includes First Energy in Ohio. This includes First Energy in Ohio and its high-profile scandal has resulted in some conspirators actually being investigated and prosecuted.

From Yahoo News:

Federal prosecutors recommend 16-20 years for ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder

Laura A. Bischoff and Jessie Balmert, The Columbus Dispatch

Former Ohio House speaker Larry Householder is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court on June 29. He was convicted of racketeering conspiracy in March. Jurors found him guilty of participating in a scheme to accept $61 million in bribes from FirstEnergy Corp. to gain political power, pass a bailout bill for the utility, and then defeat a referendum effort to cancel the bailout.

Federal prosecutors recommended a 16- to 20-year prison sentence for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, calling him the “mastermind” of one of the largest public corruption conspiracies in Ohio history, according to a sentencing memo filed Thursday.

Prosecutors argued a lengthy sentence was needed because of the size of the bribe, nearly $61 million in campaign contributions, and the need to deter future crooked politicians.

“Householder once occupied one of the three most powerful offices in the State of Ohio. He now faces a substantial prison sentence for causing immeasurable damage to the institution of democracy in Ohio, through his direction of a criminal enterprise,” prosecutors wrote.

Householder’s attorneys are expected to recommend a lesser sentence. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black will make the final decision on June 29.

A federal jury found both Householder and ex-Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges guilty of racketeering conspiracy in March. The maximum sentence for the offense is 20 years in prison.

The case made it to federal court because of its sweeping scope: $61 million in bribe money paid by FirstEnergy Corp. via dark money groups to help Householder seize political power and in turn, pass and defend a $1.3 billion bailout law known as House Bill 6. Roughly 4.5 million Ohio consumers were on the hook to pay subsidies on their monthly electricity bills.

“(Householder) acted as the quintessential mob boss, directing the criminal enterprise from the shadows and using his casket carriers to execute the scheme,” federal prosecutors wrote.

The utility fired its top managers, signed a deferred prosecution agreement, acknowledged that it paid bribes and a $230 million fine. Corporate leaders have not been charged in the case.

Borges joined the scheme midway through and was caught on secretly recorded FBI tapes offering a bribe in exchange for insider information on the House Bill 6 referendum effort.

Sentencing memos for Borges are due to be filed Friday.

Read federal prosecutors’ memo on Larry Householder below.

Laura Bischoff and Jessie Balmert are reporters for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Feds recommend 16-20 year sentence for Householder in corruption case

Activist Post reports regularly about utility corruption, “smart” meters, and other privacy invasive and unsafe technologies. For more information, visit our archives.

Image: Pixabay

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