A US judge has sentenced Conrad Black to six-and-a-half years in prison for obstructing justice and defrauding shareholders in one-time publishing giant Hollinger International.
"You've committed a very serious offense, Mr. Black," Judge Amy St. Eve told the former media mogul (63), who was ordered to report to prison in 12 weeks.
"Frankly I cannot understand how someone of your stature, on top of a media empire, could commit such acts," she added before imposing the sentence, which also carried a fine of $125,000 ($61,000 pounds) and an order that he forfeit $6.1 million.
Later she sentenced one of Black's co-defendants, Peter Atkinson (60), to two years and also ordered him to report to jail in 12 weeks.
Black told the judge before she passed sentence that he wanted to "express very profound regret and sadness" to Hollinger shareholders for "the evaporation of $1.85 billion" in value.
The sentence was near the bottom of what the judge said was a possible range of 78 to 97 months. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of over 20 years.
The judge allowed Black to retain his Florida mansion, and a multimillion-dollar payoff he got for the sale of his New York apartment.