(Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska was convicted Monday on corruption charges. A 12-member federal jury unanimously found Stevens, 84, guilty on all seven counts of felony charges related to lying about free home renovations and other gifts he received from a wealthy oil contractor.
The longest-serving Republican senator now faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced Jan. 26, next year. But under federal sentencing guidelines, Stevens is likely to receive much less prison time, if any. He now becomes the first sitting U.S. senator convicted of a felony since 1981.
Stevens' conviction will likely boost the Democratic Party's chance of winning a Alaska Senate seat for the first time in past three decades. His highest-profile conviction followed a four-year federal investigation. |