PROVIDENCE -- Former state Sen. John A. Celona, once one of the most powerful lawmakers at the Rhode Island State House, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for selling his office for personal gain.

Shortly after, U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres also penalized former Roger Williams Medical Center president Robert A. Urciuoli for stealing Celona's honest services, with a sentence of three years in prison.

Urciuoli took responsibility for Celona's hiring and requested leniency for co-defendant Frances Driscoll, a former vice president at Roger Williams. "It was my decision and my decision alone to hire John Celona," Urciuoli said.

Driscoll was convicted in October with Urciuoli. She was found guilty of one count of mail fraud, but acquitted of conspiracy in Celona's hiring.

But Urciuoli's request didn't spare Driscoll, a 67-year-old grandmother who suffers from Crohn's Disease. Torres sentenced her to eight months in prison this afternoon, saying he thought her health needs "could be met just as easily in prison."

And more prosecutions could be on the horizon. During this morning's proceedings, a prosecutor said that Celona's cooperation in an ongoing investigation could lead to 14 more criminal cases, involving seven politicians and seven corporations.

Digital Extra

Special Report: More on Celona and CVS

Celona

Read Celona's indictment

Urciuoli

Driscoll

Read the original indictment against Roger Williams Medical Center

Your turn: React to the sentencings

Celona, a North Providence Democrat who had served as chairman of the powerful Senate Corporations Committee, two years ago admitted selling his office to Roger Williams Medical Center, the drugstore chain CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. He gained $319,000

He pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in August 2005. Celona was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison this morning for each of the three counts, but they are to be served concurrently. Celona faced 1 1/2 to 3 years.

He was ordered into federal custody March 2.

Celona's cooperation with investigators has already led to the convictions of Urciuoli and Driscoll and the indictments this month of two former CVS executives.

The federal government’s lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan, characterized the information Celona has provided to federal prosecutors as unparalleled.

Sullivan didn’t go into any details about the seven additional politicians and corporation under investigation. Sullivan said it’s not clear how many prosecutions will come from those 14 separate investigations.

Celona: 'I was living in a superficial world'

An emotional Celona spoke for six minutes, telling Senior U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres, that he will continue cooperating.

“I would like to express my remorse, apologize and take full responsibility for my past actions. I am truly sorry,” Celona said. “I am in some ways glad all of this has happened.”

That’s because, Celona said, in the past three years he has become “a better husband, better father and in some respects just a regular person living in the real world.”

“I was living in a superficial world in the State House,” he said.

At that moment, through tears and with his voice cracking, Celona professed his faith in Jesus Christ.

The last three years have affirmed that “family and honor are the most important aspects of life, not power, not politics, not glory,” he said.

Judge Torres told Celona, “I have a feeling that you are genuinely remorseful for what you’ve done."

Referring to future prosecutions, he said, “You’ve testified and apparently will be testifying in future cases.”

Torres spoke of the culture of corruption and said he hopes this sentence will send a message to other office-holders.

“The message doesn’t seem to have sunk in,” he said, referring to other cases in Rhode Island.

“I hope, but I’m not sure I can say I’m optimistic, that what’s happened in this case” will deter further corruption, Torres said.

Celona must also serve two years of supervised release. As conditions of that supervised release, he must commit to eight hours of community service each week for two years. He also must pay the $3,450 cost of the supervised release.

According to evidence presented by prosecutors at trial, Celona was hired as a consultant to an affiliate of Roger Williams Medical Center, The Village at Elmhurst, ostensibly to promote the assisted-living center among his extensive network of senior citizens. The center paid Celona $257,000 as a consultant from 1998 to 2004.

But in reality, Celona was paid to promote the hospital's political agenda through his position as a senator from North Providence - influencing legislation, lobbying municipalities to increase ambulance runs to the hospital and pressuring health insurers with bills before his committee to increase their reimbursements to Roger Williams.

Urciouli: 'Painful and humiliating experience'

Urciuoli was convicted after the same trial of one count of conspiracy and 35 counts of mail fraud. He was sentenced today to 3 years on each of the counts and all are to be served concurrently.

He asked Torres for leniency. He said his father had been a machinist, his mother a homemaker. He said he has worked hard all his life. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1969 and started working at Roger Williams in 1972 as a budget director.

He said he has lost almost everything, including his job, his reputation and has been "devastated financially."

"This has been a very painful and humiliating experience," he said.

Urciuoli had faced 6 1/2 to 8 years in prison, but Torres found that personal greed was not Urciuoli's motivation.

"Almost everything you did was designed to benefit Roger Williams, not you personally," he said to Urciuoli before issuing his sentence.

That's a distinction Torres made between Urciuoli and Celona, who was paid more than $300,000 for selling his services to Roger Williams, CVS and Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Urciuoli has until noon April 2 to turn himself in to prison officials. Torres denied a request to stay Urciuoli's sentence until his appeal can be heard.

Driscoll: 'Never in my worst nightmares'

Driscoll also must start serving her sentence on April 2. After completing her sentence, Driscoll must spend eight months on home confinement and another 16 months of supervised release. She was also fined $10,000.

Driscoll made a tearful plea to Torres to have pity on her situation, especially given that she is the sole caretaker of her 72-year-old husband.

"Since the trial began, he has noticably worsened on a weekly basis," she said.

Still, Driscoll said she was prepared to go to prison if necessary. "I do stand before you ready to accept any sentence you think to be fair."

In her five-minute statement before Torres, she talked about her life "lifetime of work" in helping people. "I never in my worst nightmares thought I'd be convicted of a crime and be here before you today," she said.

The jurors did acquit a third defendant, Peter J. Sangermano Jr., who owned the Village at Elmhurst.

Driscoll, who plans to appeal her guilty verdict, maintained her innocence. "I never did anything I thought was wrong or would hurt the medical center."