Crime

Federal Judge Sentences Michael Cohen To 36 Months In Prison

Cohen addressed the judge ahead of the sentencing, saying he's taking "full responsibility for each act."

Federal Judge Sentences Michael Cohen To 36 Months In Prison
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A federal judge has sentenced Michael Cohen to 36 months in prison. He will also reportedly have to pay a forfeiture of $500,000, restitution of $1.4 million and a fine of $50,000.

Cohen addressed the judge ahead of the sentencing, saying he's taking "full responsibility for each act." He will be able to voluntarily surrender in March.

Last month, President Donald Trump's former attorney pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a real estate project to build a Trump Tower in Russia. He also pleaded guilty in August to eight other charges, including tax fraud, bank fraud and campaign finance violations.

Before Wednesday's hearing, Cohen's defense team argued that he shouldn't get time behind bars because of his cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. But federal prosecutors said Cohen hadn't actually helped all that much in that investigation.

Other former Trump associates are also in the hot seat: Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18

And Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort faces allegations that he repeatedly lied to Mueller's team of investigators. Manafort's legal team has until early January to decide how they're going to address those accusations. 

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN

Correction: A previous version of this story wasn't clear about when Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to charges including bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations. This story has been updated.