Convicted former Cleveland councilman denied cut in prison sentence
CLEVELAND — Disgraced former Cleveland City Councilman Kenneth Johnson will not get his sentence cut under new guidelines aimed at reducing federal prison sentences for some convicts.
U.S. District Judge John Adams on Tuesday denied Johnson’s request, made after a November change to federal sentences aimed at right-sizing prison terms under new laws or precedent-setting cases in recent years.
Adams didn’t provide a reason in his order and wasn’t required to do so under the new guidelines. He simply checked a box that said “denied.”
Johnson was the councilman in Ward 4, the city’s Buckeye-Shaker Square neighborhood, for 41 years.
Johnson, 77, is serving a six-year federal prison sentence after a jury found him guilty in 2021 of fleecing taxpayers and refusing to pay his taxes. He was convicted of 15 corruption-related charges.
Johnson siphoned about $127,000 over eight years by applying for cash reimbursements for work, such as hiring someone to cut grass at vacant lots, that was never performed.
He also underpaid his taxes and steered government money to Buckeye Shaker Development Corp. to keep his adopted sons on its payroll. Johnson helped fund the development corporation as a council member.
Johnson argued in a motion that he filed himself that he fit the criteria for the two-level reduction in sentencing. The reductions only apply under certain circumstances, including if someone had no prior criminal convictions, didn’t commit a crime of violence, a hate crime, sex crime, terrorism, caused financial hardship or was a leader in a criminal conspiracy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips argued that Johnson was convicted of being the leader of a criminal conspiracy and that the reduction didn’t apply.
He also pointed out that Adams sentenced Johnson to well below the federal sentencing guideline range. Johnson faced between 97 and 121 months in prison. Adams sentenced him to 72 months.