Anthony "the Saint" St. Laurent Sr. was sentenced by a Rhode Island federal judge today to 56 months in prison, according to a story by WLNE-TV (ABC-6) in Providence.
The 65-year-old St. Laurent (photos date from 1987), reputedly a longtime member of the New England Crime Family, was convicted this past summer of conspiring to extort payments from two victims. He has been in custody since his arrest in April.
He faced a possible maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine, according to WPRI-TV (FOX-12) in Providence. However, a plea deal caused prosecutors to recommend the minimum possible term - between three and five years.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge William Smith said he doubted St. Laurent would ever reform. Judge Smith noted 17 convictions on a St. Laurent rap sheet that dated back to the 1960s. According to the Nevada Gaming Commission, St. Laurent's arrest record goes back to 1959. The commission notes that he was once charged with operating a gambling ring from within a prison cell.
Saint Laurent was on supervised release from prison (due to a 1999 conviction for gambling, extortion and loansharking) at the time of his attempted shakedown of two Massachusetts men.
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