LOL..Ok sure the guy is a crook but 27 years seems a little harsh for a 62 year old man.There's a lot worse crooks still serving in congress,I'd rather see get the time like Rangel,Frank,Dodd and Murtha.

I'd like to see an investigation of the over 200 milionaires in congress who wern't before they got there.

Before we feel sorry for him, let's see what he really gets. But I agree, there are far worse crooks in the legislative and executive branches who are skating.

Put him in jail. It will bring up the old "people of color comprise 70% of the prison population" argument. When they raise that argument, I just ask what that person or any other person did to put them behind bars. Jail him.

Is William Jefferson a democrat by chance??

That's way too long. 25 yrs sems about right.

What a shame they are sending this man to prison only because he's black.

Expect a Presidental pardon in late January 2013 or 2017 (hopefully the former).

Oh, please - give this guy a break? Forget it! It was a family venture and they should all get life sentences...

Prosecutors can recommend whatever they want to, the judge has the final say (unless the jury panel has final say). Usually, on those long sentences, perps are only required to serve about 30% of them. Is he going to be ''free pending appeal'' or frog-marched on up to the big house? T.S. Ellis III was appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan.

At the risk of sounding harsh IMNSHO I think William Jefferson D La should get 50 years...now they could mete it out 10 for him,10 for the wife and 10 for the daughters and brother. That would be okay by me.

There is no way the little woman didnt know about the fraud. I have been married a long time and if hubby all of a sudden DH had all this money I would KNOW it was fraud.
Same for the daughters

To be fair I also thought Duke Cunningham's wife should have gotten 8 years behind bars too.

do the crime do the time

Frozen dinners surrounded by cold cash,
is a bad idea of where to hide your stash.

You'll do what the judge sets for time,
for not paying tax is a crime.

I was under the impression that under new guidelines there is no parole available for federal crimes. Whatever time you, you serve. Parole is for state crimes. Having said that, I believe 27-33 years is excessive. Sure, he's a dirt bag and an example needs to be set. But 10-12 years ought to be plenty.

Beautiful, #11!

Nothing mentioned about the cash, I guess he gets to keep that
as reparations for personally being a slave 300 years ago.

Nancy wants to know if he can still run for office.

William Jefferson's going to jail?

William "Frozen Tofu Burger" Jefferson's going to jail?

William "Get me to my freezer before you rescue anybody" Katrina-Jefferson's going to jail?

Miracle! Miracle!

As to the length of the sentence: 1. don't do the crime and you don't worry about that; 2. whether some one else is worse is utterly immaterial -- criminal sentencing should never be a comparative exercise, and guilt is not relative; 3. this guy was a US Representative and he turned his family into a criminal enterprise! His sentence ought to be "forever -- plus ten years."

If he had received this sentence when he should have, he wouldn't have been 62 yrs. old.... and it certainly wouldn't have appeared "over the top"

MOVING ON UP

That's a lot of time in the cooler for puttin' your bribe money in the freezer.

Finally! Very happy to see this. Now when is Rangel going to pay for his crimes?