Paul Manafort told the court before sentencing that his “life, professionally and personally, is in a shambles.”
“I feel the pain and shame,” said Manafort, who the defence says suffers from high blood pressure and gout.
The President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief was sentenced to 47 months in prison on Thursday for tax crimes and bank fraud in the highest profile case yet stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“To say that I feel humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement,” he said.
Imposing his sentence, Judge Ellis said he did not hear Manafort express regret or remorse but he said the sentencing guidelines were “way out of whack.”
“I think what I’ve done is punitive,” Ellis said.
He sentenced Manafort for the eight counts and credited him with nine months of time served for the period he has already spent in prison.
He ordered him to pay millions of dollars in restitution — the exact amount remains to be determined — and a $50,000 fine.
Manafort still faces sentencing in a second case in Washington next week, where the maximum penalty is 10 years and the judge has appeared more sympathetic to prosecutors.
“And I think most importantly, what you saw today is the same thing that we had said from day one — there is absolutely no evidence that Paul Manafort was involved with any collusion with any government official from Russia,” Downing said.
Manafort is one of six top advisers and associates of Trump’s 2016 presidential election campaign to be charged in the Mueller investigation.
During Manafort’s trial, much of the damaging testimony against him was provided by his former deputy Rick Gates, who is awaiting sentencing after reaching a plea agreement with the Special Counsel’s office.
Besides Manafort and Gates, four other former Trump associates face charges or have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Mueller investigation.
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials and is awaiting sentencing.