On March 17, U.S. District Judge John Kness sentenced former Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz to 13 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Munoz stole tens of thousands of dollars from a political campaign fund he controlled and spent the amount on personal items such as iPhones, hotel rooms, skydiving excursions and sporting events.
Kness rejected arguments by Munoz’s attorney that probation was more appropriate since sending crooked politicians to prison has apparently failed to deter others.
In arguing for a year in prison, Assistant U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual said Munoz “violated the public trust repeatedly” by circumventing campaign finance law designed to keep the process transparent.