(New York) Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was a key figure in the first impeachment inquiry targeting President Donald Trump, was sentenced on Wednesday to one year and eight months in prison for fraud and campaign finance crimes .
Posted at 2:09 p.m.
Lev Parnas, who helped Rudy Giuliani get in touch with Ukrainian figures as part of a campaign to find incriminating information about President Joe Biden’s son, had asked for clemency on the grounds that he had collaborated in Congressional investigation.
But prosecutors said the Soviet-born businessman’s help was in response to a subpoena and deserved little credit.
They asked the judge to focus on a jury’s finding that Lev Parnas used a wealthy Russian’s fortune to make illegal donations to politicians who could help launch a legal recreational marijuana business.
Prosecutors had requested a sentence of more than six years in prison for Lev Parnas.
A conviction in October also supported a finding that he made illegal donations in 2018 to launch a new energy company.
In March, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting that between 2012 and 2019 he conspired with another person to give investors false information about a Florida-based company, Fraud Guarantee.
Fraud Guarantee was presented as a company capable of protecting investors against fraud. Mr. Giuliani accepted $500,000 from the company to act as a consultant, but was not charged with any wrongdoing or crimes.
During the sentencing hearing, several people who lost money investing in Lev Parnas’ business ventures made statements. Attorney Charles Gucciardo said he transferred $500,000 to a bank account belonging to Mr Giuliani to support Fraud Guarantee’s activities.
He said he didn’t blame Mr Giuliani for his connection to a business that never seemed to take off, but instead blamed Lev Parnas, saying the latter “lack of money and had to maintain his relationship with Mr. Giuliani alive”. Mr. Gucciardo said that instead of working on the business of Fraud Guarantee, Lev Parnas “went off to do the marijuana business in Las Vegas.”
Lev Parnas wept as he apologized to his victims, sometimes turning around to try and watch them as he spoke.
“I want to apologize to all the victims I hurt. These are all people who are my friends, everyone who trusted me and I lied to them to further my personal agenda,” he said.