Former Arizona Governor Gets 2 1/2-Year Prison Term

A judge ignored prosecutors’ request to send former Gov. Fife Symington to prison for a decade, instead sentencing him Monday to 2 1/2 years for lying to get millions of dollars in loans to shore up his failing real estate empire.

“Could’ve been worse,” the two-term Republican governor said as he hugged his wife, Ann. His teenage son, Tommy, sobbed uncontrollably nearby.

U.S. District Judge Roger Strand also ordered Symington to pay a $60,000 fine and serve five years’ probation. Symington was ordered to report to a minimum-security federal work camp on March 20.

Symington, 52, resigned immediately after he was convicted in September on multiple counts of providing false financial statements to lenders to win loans and gain concessions for his real estate developments.

His voice shaking, Symington asked for leniency but did not admit committing any crime. Choking back tears, he said he never meant to mislead anyone and should have paid closer attention to his financial statements.

Federal prosecutor David Schindler said Symington’s sentence “sent the message that white-collar crime will not be tolerated.”

Prosecutors had sought a 10-year term and $15.8 million in restitution. Symington’s attorneys asked for probation.

Strand said he opted for a lighter sentence because prosecutors “seriously overstated” how much Symington’s crimes contributed to the lenders’ losses. Strand said a large portion of the losses were caused by the depression in the Phoenix real estate market.

Strand sent the restitution issue to U.S. Bankruptcy Court.