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Plowman receives 40-month federal sentence

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A federal judge on Thursday afternoon sentenced former Indianapolis City-County Councilor Lincoln Plowman to 40 months in federal prison for attempted extortion and bribery.

A jury found him guilty in September of using his official position to collect $6,000 in exchange for his help in getting zoning approval for a proposed strip club.

Plowman mugPlowman, also a former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department major, faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the attempted extortion conviction and 10 years and a $250,000 fine for the bribery conviction.

He will begin serving the sentence after Jan.1 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute.

U.S. District Judge Larry McKinney imposed no fines because of the financial condition of Plowman's family.

Federal prosecutors had recommended a 6-1/2-year sentence. But friends and family of Plowman earlier in November submitted 56 letters of support to McKinney, pleading for leniency and asking that Plowman receive probation rather than a lengthy jail sentence.

Plowman addressed the court before he received the sentence.

“My actions have caused my family and me a great deal of harm,” Plowman said. “I will never be able to repair the damage I caused. There are no excuses for my arrogance and ignorance. My behavior was inexcusable.”

Plowman pleaded to the judge to consider the impact a prison sentence would have on his wife, who is struggling to save their home from foreclosure, and his two boys. Plowman lost his factory job in Greenwood following his conviction in September.

“While I am concerned about you and your family, I think about the nature and circumstances of the offenses,” McKinney said before sentencing Plowman. “The nature and the circumstances of the events are troublesome for a man of your stature.”

Though prosecutors had asked for a longer sentence, U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett said he was satisfied with the judge’s decision.

“I think 3-1/2 years in prison is a very powerful message for anyone who holds public office,” he said. “I think the message here today, as sad as it is, would be even sadder if that kind of behavior went undetected and unpunished.”

A grand jury indicted Plowman in September 2010. From August to December of 2009, the indictment said, Plowman solicited an undercover FBI agent to pay him $5,000 in cash and make a $1,000 campaign contribution in exchange for help with strip club zoning.

Plowman declined to comment after the sentencing. His attorneys said they plan to appeal the sentence.

McKinney earlier denied Plowman's request to overturn his convictions.




 

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  • Elect the wife
    Lincoln remains a crybaby and egomaniac to the end. He deserves more time than he got and he does not deserve his wife.

    I was impressed by the humility of Ms. Nye. We would have been much better served by her I think than by Lincoln. If she divorces him, I will support her for office and would contribute money to help with her financial status.

    For her own sake, and the sake of her children, she must drop that scumbag of a husband as soon as possible.
  • Women as victims
    Why must we always see women as victims? Did she not know that he was an egotistical jerk when she married him? If not then she's a fool. I feel bad for the kids. Their the ones that didn't have a choice.
  • Faith heals
    I feel badly for his wife, as she must be humiliated. No woman ever should hear her husband made the kind of remarks about strippers and hookers that he did.

    Her faith must be rock solid, for upon his sentencing she was quoted as saying it is in God's hands. Another article said that their house would be lost to foreclosure.

    One doesn't need a man to build a home and life for oneself. Our prayers should be with her. I'm sure she will find support in the community even though the public is glad to see he got real jail time.
    • Deserved
      People in power should take notice!!

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