A federal judge may not have granted the wish of former Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas for an 18-month prison sentence, but he has signed off on Thomas’ request for where he’ll serve his 38-month term.
In an order made public Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Bates recommended that Thomas serve his sentence at federal facilities in Montgomery, Ala., or Pensacola, Fla.
At a sentencing hearing on May 3, the former lawmaker’s attorneys had sought Bates’ recommendation that Thomas be assigned to one of the two facilities.
Ultimately, Bates’ suggestion on the matter isn’t final; the federal Bureau of Prisons will decide where Thomas will do his time.
Bates did not set a date for Thomas, who resigned in January, to begin his prison sentence, leaving the decision to others in the federal penal system.
For Thomas, the six-page judgment represents a detailed roadmap for the next six years (plus a few months) of his life.
The document outlines the conditions of Thomas’ three-year period of supervised release, which will begin when he leaves prison. According to the guidelines Bates set, Thomas will submit to drug testing and is barred from possessing a firearm during his term of probation.
Those rules are on top of 13 “Standard Conditions of Supervision,” which include limitations on travel and employment requirements.
He’ll need to work: Bates also ordered Thomas to “pay all past and present taxes, interest and penalties owed” to federal and local tax officials.
By Aug. 1, Bates will decide how much restitution Thomas will be required to pay. At Thomas’ sentencing hearing, the judge indicated the amount could reach $446,000.
Thomas, though, avoided a fine as a part of his sentence.
Thomas pleaded guilty to stealing more than $353,000 in public money intended for youth sports programs and filing false income tax returns.
Although he could have received a 51-month prison sentence under federal guidelines, prosecutors sought a 46-month term.
