A Prince George’s County liquor store owner was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in a pay-for-play scheme involving former county excecutive Jack Johnson.
Amrik Singh Melhi, 52, was sentenced to 46 months behind bars Tuesday and ordered to pay $975,000 in forfeitures to the government, making him the latest person to be sentenced in a wide-ranging federal probe of public corruption in Prince George’s.
Johnson was sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to extotion and witness tampering.
Melhi, who owned the Tick Tock Liquors in Hyattsville, Langways Liquors in Lanham and Decker’s Liquors in Bel Air, admitted that he conspsired with with Johnson, Prince George’s County Police Sgt. Richard Delabrer and others. Melhi payed Delaber for protectdion and smuggle untaxed alcohol, and agreed to help fund Johnson’s campaign in exchange for obtaining licenses and permits, and for him to influence legislation that would help Melhi’s liquor business.
Delabrer, 46, pleaded guilty to extortion conspiracy and possession a firearm in furtherance of a crime of volience.
