By Alex Wayne, CQ Staff

The corrupt former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison Thursday for defrauding some of his clients — chiefly, two Indian tribes — and bribing public officials, including a congressman who himself served a prison term in connection to the case.

Abramoff could have received an 11-year sentence for the conviction, but U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said she believed Abramoff is repentant — and she added that he had provided “enormous, extensive cooperation” in the government’s investigation of corruption connected to him.

Abramoff did not visibly react to the sentence, but looked at his lawyer when Huvelle said he could appeal it.

The judge also ordered Abramoff to pay $23.1 million in restitution to his victims.

Abramoff was at the center of a wide-ranging probe that has so far resulted in a dozen guilty pleas and convictions, including that of former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio. Ney served a federal term of just over 16 months after pleading guilty to making false statements and conspiracy to commit fraud; he was released in August.

There are “ongoing investigations” related to Abramoff “involving other public officials,” prosecutors say.

Abramoff already has served 21 months of a nearly six-year federal sentence in connection with a fraudulent casino deal in Florida. The new four-year sentence essentially will run concurrently with that stint, guaranteeing that Abramoff spends a grand total of about six years in federal prison. He will then be on probation for three years.

He has a hearing next week on whether to reduce the original six-year sentence to 35 months. But even if he is successful in that appeal, the new sentence will remain in effect.

In this case, Abramoff and his lawyers had asked for a sentence not exceeding 43 months, concurrent with the Florida sentence. The government had recommended a sentence of 64 months, but with credit for time served in the Florida case.

Abramoff was found guilty of corrupting public officials in Washington by providing them gifts including meals and drinks and tickets to sporting events and concerts in exchange for official acts on behalf of him and his clients. He provided some officials with more expensive gifts, including trips to Scotland in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and to the Super Bowl in 2001.

For example, during an eight-month period in 2002, prosecutors say, Abramoff provided Ney and his staff about $6,400 worth of meals and drinks and $1,100 worth of concert tickets. Abramoff opened a restaurant, Signatures, that “hemorrhaged” money, prosecutors say, because he gave away so many free meals and drinks at the place. It has since closed.

Specifically, Abramoff pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge, a tax evasion charge and to aiding and abetting the fraud of Ney and two congressional aides.

Federal prosecutors recommended giving Abramoff less than the full 11 years because he cooperated in their investigation. In a memo to Huvelle, prosecutors said that Abramoff’s assistance was “especially important” in four of the convictions in the case, and that he “played a role” in five others, including Ney’s.