P.G. Sittenfeld, a former Cincinnati City Council member, has commenced his term as an inmate at FCI Ashland.
According to Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Randilee Giamusso, he reported to the Federal Correction Institution in Ashland, northeastern Kentucky, on Tuesday.
Giamusso conveyed the information in an email to a news outlet, FOX19 NOW, affirming that Alexander Sittenfeld, bearing Register Number 18085-509, is presently under the custody of the FBOP at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Ashland.
In 2020, Sittenfeld, 39, from East Walnut Hills, was among three former Cincinnati council members arrested and convicted on federal public corruption charges. The federal authorities started these cases back in 2017.
After Sittenfeld’s trial concluded, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker stated that Sittenfeld could face a maximum of 10 years for bribery and up to 20 years for attempted extortion.
Acknowledging Sittenfeld’s community work during his city council tenure, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Cole opted for a reduced sentence from the stipulated guidelines.
Situated approximately 2.5 hours away from Cincinnati, the Federal Correctional Institution is a minimum-security prison housing 1,283 inmates.
An adjacent minimum-security satellite camp provides inmate labor for both on-site and off-site work programs, supporting the main prison.
Forbes Magazine once listed FCI Ashland in their list of “10 Cushiest Prisons.” However, according to the prison’s online orientation handbook, inmates are required to wake up at 6 a.m., complete chores such as making their beds and mopping their cell floors, and participate in job assignments.
Sittenfeld must go through a year of supervised release after serving his sentence in prison, per the judge’s order. Meanwhile, Sittenfeld’s legal team has sought a federal appeals court intervention to overturn his conviction.
Rejecting a plea deal that would have limited potential punishment, P.G. Sittenfeld chose to face trial rather than accept probation only or a maximum of two years in prison, as indicated in court records.
At the time of his November 2020 charge, Sittenfeld was a leading candidate in the mayoral race, consistently securing the highest votes in council elections.
The charges against him alleged that he pledged support, committed to “official acts,” and assured to “deliver the votes” for the development of a property at 435 Elm Street, involving sports betting. In return, he was accused of receiving $40,000 in donations for his political action fund (PAC), according to federal court records.
The Elm Street project, which former Cincinnati Bengals player Chinedum Ndukwe developed as a hotel and office complex with a restaurant and apartments, was the subject of Sittenfeld’s indictment.
Despite the accusations, Sittenfeld’s defense team argued that the indictment itself demonstrated the absence of a quid pro quo. They contended that Sittenfeld’s pro-development stance, along with his legal actions, aligned with typical political conduct and was entirely within legal bounds.
Facing a total of six charges, the jury acquitted Sittenfeld on four counts, including one count each of bribery and extortion and two charges of honest services wire fraud.
During the period leading up to his sentencing, Sittenfeld dedicated his time to caring for his two young sons while his wife worked.
Additionally, court records show that he assists his widowed mother and wishes to dedicate the time he currently spends helping his legal team to pro bono legal work in order to assist others.
Source: https://www.fox19.com/2024/01/03/pg-sittenfeld-custody-federal-prison-kentucky/
Image: Sittenfeld for Senate, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons