Albany

Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who endured for decades as one of the most powerful figures in state government, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison after being convicted in November on multiple corruption charges.

At the sentencing in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ordered that the 72-year-old must forfeit almost $5.2 million, and pay $1.75 million in fines.

He will not, however, be forced to forfeit his state pension, set to hit just more than $79,000 per year

The Manhattan Democrat must report to prison by July 1.

"Today's stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silver's long career of corruption," said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Preet Bharara, whose office's investigation led to the lawmaker's arrest in January 2015.

In a brief statement before Caproni announced her sentence, Silver said he let down his family, colleagues and constituents, "and I am truly, truly sorry for that."

In an odd piece of timing, the woman who won Silver's seat in last month's special election, Democrat Alice Cancel, was attending her very first session as Capitol denizens followed the developments from the courtroom on Twitter.

In documents submitted last month, Bharara's office requested a sentence that was "greater than any ... imposed on other New York State legislators convicted of public corruption offenses." The record — which still stands — belongs to former Assemblyman William Boyland Jr., a Democrat who received 14 years in prison following his 2015 conviction on bribery charges.

Silver's attorneys had sought a sentence below federal guidelines, "possibly coupled with home confinement and community service." They noted that since his arrest, Silver has received treatment for prostate cancer, though it is now in remission.

Based on federal guidelines, Silver could have faced up to 27 years in prison for his conviction on seven counts, which range from honest services fraud to extortion.

From the bench, Caproni said that while Silver had done numerous good works over the course of his career, they failed to counterbalance the damage his crimes had done to citizens' faith in their government.

Former Assemblyman Jack McEneny, an Albany Democrat, said that given Silver's "age and poor health, that sentence is a virtual death penalty."

"You can't help but feel regret and a certain sadness, because in political life you're only as good as your last mistake and people forget everything that went before it," McEneny said. "A lot of good went before this. He helped create housing for the poor, all-day kindergarten and fought for civil rights and all that gets forgotten. It's just another part of the punishment, I suppose."

Silver was found to have engaged in a two-track corruption scheme that netted him an estimated $4 million in bribes and kickbacks disguised as legal fees.

Silver funneled legislative favors, including state grants, to a mesothelioma doctor who directed many of his asbestos-exposure patients to Weitz & Luxenberg, the law firm where the Manhattan Democrat served "of counsel." Silver's other legal work, for a separate firm that handled property tax assessment appeals, was unknown to the public until a year ago: Prosecutors successfully argued that Silver received legal fees from real estate developers — including Glenwood Management, the state's most generous political donor — that had extensive business before the Legislature, and did his best to conceal the arrangement from ethics watchdogs.

Silver's lawyers argued that prosecutors were attempting to criminalize the way business is done in Albany, and noted that the former Speaker was a part-time lawmaker no different from those envisioned by the state's founders.

A lawyer born-and-raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Silver was hardly the average lawmaker.

First elected in 1976, he replaced Saul Weprin as speaker in 1994, beginning a 21-year reign. He survived a 2000 coup attempt organized by his one-time lieutenant, Michael Bragman. In 2012, he weathered criticism for his decision to approve a confidential settlement with two of former staffers to Assemblyman Vito Lopez after the women leveled sexual harassment charges against the Brooklyn legislator. Silver ultimately forced Lopez to resign; the leader apologized for how he handled the case.

He survived through the years using a combination of skills to cultivate supporters and marginalize critics.

By February 2015, the support of colleagues and the power with which he was able to isolate his critics had withered, however. Within a week of his arrest, Silver resigned his post, leading to the ascension of Carl Heastie to the Assembly's top position.

Silver remained a member of the rank and file for the remainder of the 2015 session, fading back into the obscurity of the Democratic majority.

He was convicted in November of all seven counts he faced after a four-week trial, triggering his automatic expulsion from the Legislature. He continues to appeal his conviction.

Just after the sentence was announced, current Speaker Carl Heastie called it "the ending of a dark chapter for the Assembly, and I guess we have to get back to life."

Tuesday's sentencing marks the first of three upcoming days of legal reckoning for former top lawmakers.

Former Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who was convicted of corruption charges alongside his son just weeks after Silver heard the jury's verdict, will be sentenced next week. Former Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson will be sentenced May 19 on another set of corruption charges.

Also Tuesday, the Capitol learned that former Sen. Tom Libous, R-Binghamton, died in hospice after a long battle with cancer. The GOP's former deputy leader, Libous lost his seat last summer after being convicted on federal charges of lying to investigators. He had been under house arrest due to his illness.

Good government groups used the occasion of Silver's sentencing to renew their calls for comprehensive ethics reform, including limits on lawmakers' outside income and a comprehensive overhaul of the operation of the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics. At a press confernce at the Capitol, Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group said advocates had "a simple message" for the Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"Someone please make it stop," Horner said.

Casey Seiler and Paul Grondahl contributed. • mhamilton@timesunion.com • 518-454-5449 • @matt_hamilton10

Here's a timeline of Silver's political career: