Former Luzerne County commissioner Greg Skrepenak was sentenced Friday to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,100 in fines and court costs.
Skrepenak pleaded guilty in January to taking $5,000 in gifts from a developer seeking public financing of a town house project.
The sentence is below federal sentencing guidelines. Skrepenak's attorney asked for a reduced sentence because his client is a single father with three children. Court papers also cite Skrepenak's health and his civic contributions in arguing for a sentence reduction.
Skrepenak played six seasons in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Raiders and Panthers.
"I stand before you today a battered and beaten man, but I stand before you a better man," he said. "I am so sorry that I allowed myself to compromise my moral and core beliefs."
But Judge Richard Conaboy rebuked Skrepenak for betraying the public trust.
"Your conduct has very badly blemished all public servants in Luzerne County and elsewhere," he said. "It's the worst sort of violation of trust."
