A two-page order handed down on Friday was the first piece of good news in a long time for former state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo — whose sentencing on fraud and obstruction of justice charges is set for Tuesday — as U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter effectively slashed Fumo’s sentencing recommendation in half. But by the end of the day, prosecutors had filed a 58-page brief that said Fumo, 66, should be hit with a longer prison term than the federal guidelines recommend because his crimes rocked the public’s confidence in the integrity of public officials and because of his perjury at trial and his “exceptionally egregious” cover-up scheme.
The original recommendation from a probation officer said Fumo’s sentence should be in the range of 21 to 27 years in prison. But the new calculation announced by Buckwalter, once it is finalized, could reduce the recommendation to a range of nine to 12 years.
