Ex-Commissioner Sammie Sias sentenced to 3 years in federal prison
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Former Augusta Commissioner Sammie Sias was sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of destroying records in a federal investigation.
On Tuesday, around 9:05 a.m., Sias arrived at court to hear his sentencing. We were there live.
Judge Randall Hall sentenced Sias to three years in prison. He will report to prison in 62 days, and the requested prison is in Estill, S.C.
Randall also ordered Sias to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
The look of contentment and acceptance seemed to sweep Sammie Sias’ face today, even cracking a slight smile as he left the courthouse.
He would not comment on whether or not he would appeal.
Before his sentencing, he took responsibility for his actions but also listed off his accomplishments in the military and around the CSRA.
Moments later, the defense stated Sias’ time in the military, while irable, is a strong indicator that he knew better but still chose to break the law.
Sias was convicted of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations and false statement or representation made to a department or agency of the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“The community trusted Sammie Sias to be an upstanding public official, and saw him as someone their community could count on for leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence not only will serve to deter Mr. Sias from committing any similar conduct in the future but it will also serve to deter others in similar positions from betraying the community’s trust. It’s important for the citizens of Richmond County and the Southern District of Georgia to know that their trusted public officials will be held able when they engage in illegal conduct. No one is above the law.”
Sias was found guilty in July after a four-day federal trial and faced up to 20 years in prison. Days later, on Aug. 12, he appealed, seeking acquittal or a new trial.
His appeal alleged there was insufficient evidence for a conviction. He also said his former counsel had provided ineffective legal assistance.
“This cover-up was not only a violation of the oath taken by Sias, but a theft of the public’s trust,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities and we will do everything in our power to pursue officials who abuse their positions.”
At the time, Randall said Sias hadn’t offered sufficient grounds to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial and that an appeal for a new trial “is not the appropriate vehicle” for raising claims of ineffective legal assistance.
The judge also found Sias failed to establish there were errors regarding evidence at trial, much less that any errors had a “substantial influence on the outcome.”
Judge Hall’s last words before the sentencing served as reminder to Sias of the severity of his actions, telling him if his plan in deleting thousands of documents was to hinder a financial investigation then it worked.
Judge hall added him to the list of what the judge calls Augusta’s regretful history of bad behavior from elected officials.
The Department of Justice says the case was investigated by the FBI and the GBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.
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