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Stiff penalty for Ebbers meant as ‘deterrent’
New York City - ike John Rigas, the fallen head of Adelphia Communications, Bernard Ebbers has been hit with what could amount to a life sentence for orchestrating the $11 billion fraud that toppled WorldCom, a term one attorney involved in the case said was meant as a "deterrent."
Judge Barbara Jones of U.S. District Court in Manhattan sentenced Ebbers, 63, to 25 years in prison on Wednesday in front of a packed courtroom that included former WorldCom employees and investors. She said the penalty - the stiffest in a corporate fraud case in recent memory - was appropriate given the size and scope of the damages.