Mueller investigation: Paul Manafort to be sentenced next month in Virginia, Washington DC cases

President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is set to be sentenced next month in a pair of cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office, according to federal court filings in Virginia and Washington D.C.

A jury in Virginia found Manafort, 69, guilty last summer of tax and bank fraud charges in a case stemming from work he and an associate did for pro-Russia political forces in Ukraine.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced in that case during a 3:30 p.m. hearing March 7 before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, according to a court filing. Prosecutors have recommended he serve between 19 1/2 and 24 1/2 years in prison and that he be fined as much as $24 million.

>> Paul Manafort guilty on 8 charges in bank fraud, conspiracy trial; mistrial declared on 10 counts

“Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed in court. “The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct.”

>> Mueller recommends Paul Manafort be sentenced to 19.5-24.5 years in prison and $24M fine

In a separate case out of Washington, Manafort agreed in September to fully cooperate with Mueller’s team as part of an agreement that saw him admitting to charges of conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice through witness tampering.

However, in a scathing memo filed last week, prosecutors accused Manafort of “repeatedly and brazenly” breaking the law. A federal judge previously ruled Manafort had lied to authorities after he agreed to fully cooperate with them.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced in that case at a 9:30 a.m. hearing March 13 before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, a court filing showed.

Manafort’s attorneys have denied any wrongdoing. Officials said he’s turned over access to his electronic devices and email accounts as part of his cooperation.

Last month, defense attorneys said Manafort has been kept in solitary confinement for his own safety. He’s had severe gout for several months of his incarceration, according to his attorneys, and it’s sometimes been severe enough to require him to use a wheelchair.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

About the Author