New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former senior aide and family friend was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday for accepting more than $300,000 in bribes for state action that benefited two companies.

In March, a Manhattan federal jury convicted Joseph Percoco, 49 years old, of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and one count of bribery.

Mr. Percoco, who Mr. Cuomo has called “my father’s third son,” managed Mr. Cuomo’s two successful gubernatorial campaigns and served most recently as his executive deputy secretary.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said Thursday there were few crimes as serious as a public official taking a bribe.

“I hope this sentence will be heard in Albany,” Judge Caproni said.


Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. However, Mr. Percoco’s trial and subsequent conviction prompted political attacks on Mr. Cuomo, who is seeking a third term in November.

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In court Thursday, Mr. Percoco looked pained as Judge Caproni handed down the sentence. Beforehand, he apologized for any harm he had caused his family and New Yorkers.

“I would just like to express how sorry I am for my actions,” he told the judge.

Mr. Percoco’s lawyers said they would appeal. They had argued a two-year sentence would be sufficient punishment, saying the trial and surrounding publicity had “all but destroyed Joe’s life.”


Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Mr. Percoco to more than five years. Such a sentence would deter future crimes, particularly in Albany, they said.

“Percoco’s trial exposed wrongdoing at high levels of state government that is hardly aberrant,” prosecutors said. “Recent prosecutions and trials in this district have laid bare the ugly truth that, too often, political power and responsibility in New York leads to political corruption.”

During the trial, prosecutors said Mr. Percoco had accepted more than $300,000 in bribes from executives at an energy company, Competitive Power Ventures LLC, and a developer, COR Development Co.

Both companies were clients of a lobbyist, Todd Howe, who was Mr. Percoco’s longtime friend and served as prosecutors’ cooperating witness at the trial.


In exchange for the bribes, which included a “low-show” job for his wife, Mr. Percoco took official action to benefit the companies, prosecutors said. These actions included helping Competitive Power Ventures obtain a power-purchasing agreement with the state.

Witnesses described a clubby and favor-trading atmosphere in Albany. Current and former administration officials testified that Mr. Percoco had intimidated employees who were seeking jobs outside the governor’s office. They also testified that Mr. Percoco was using his government office while he was on leave managing the campaign.

The sentencing comes a week after Mr. Cuomo won a resounding Democratic primary victory against Cynthia Nixon and has turned toward the general election campaign against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican.

In recent weeks, Ms. Nixon and Mr. Molinaro each pointed to Mr. Percoco’s conviction as evidence of corruption in Albany and within the governor’s administration.


On Thursday afternoon, Republicans and good-government groups seized on the sentencing to call for reforms, saying Mr. Cuomo hadn’t done enough to change the culture of Albany during his time in office.

Mr. Cuomo said in a statement that Mr. Percoco was “paying the price for violating the public trust.”

—Jimmy Vielkind contributed to this article.

Write to Corinne Ramey at Corinne.Ramey@wsj.com