WHITE PLAINS — The first person arrested in a state and federal probe into corruption in the Town of Poughkeepsie was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Former town Deputy Building Inspector Robert Kortright is scheduled to surrender to authorities May 26 and will serve his time at a yet-to-be-determined federal correctional facility. He was convicted on one count each of bribery and extortion following a jury trial last October.

Kortright could have faced 30 years in jail and fines up to $500,000.

Supervised release is similar to probation, where the judge can impose conditions of the release. Those conditions will be determined at that time.

Kortright came to court with 11 family members and friends, including his wife, Gloria. One relative closed her eyes as if in prayer and rubbed a gold cross necklace between her thumb and forefinger before the judge entered the courtroom. Kortright spoke in hushed tones at the defense table with his attorney.

Kortright told federal Judge Richard Conway Casey he regretted his role in soliciting a $2,000 bribe along with former town Buildings Director Jim Pickles from a contractor in the summer of 1997.

‘‘I have made a horrible, horrible mistake that has jeopardized my family and ability to take care of them,’’ said Kortright, who has two young children. ‘‘I don’t believe a good father would have put himself in a position where he would not be able to take care of his children.’’
Of accepting the bribe, Kortright told the judge, ‘‘I should have said no.’’

Kortright’s sentencing closes one chapter in an ongoing corruption probe that has also yielded Pickles’ conviction on a bribery charge and the February arrest of prominent businessman Herb Redl, also for alleged bribery. The arrests and the fact that federal witnesses at Kortright’s trial testified that former town Assessor Basil ‘‘Bill’’ Raucci solicited two $15,000 bribes in the first half of 1997 have prompted speculation that corruption is widespread in the town.

Authorities would not comment Wednesday on the investigation or its possible targets except to say that it is ongoing.

Town and Dutchess County Republican Chairman William Paroli Sr. — who has acknowledged he is a likely target of the investigation while denying any wrongdoing — said he was not surprised by the sentence.

Paroli said he believes Kortright would have gotten a lighter sentence if he had struck a deal with the government.
‘‘Kortright was less culpable than Pickles was,’’ Paroli said. ‘‘Pickles was the driving factor there. ... Kortright was following his boss’s orders.’’

Pickles, 45, of Hyde Park, was sentenced last month to three years probation beginning with four months of home confinement. He was also fined $3,000.

At his trial, authorities said Kortright was instrumental in soliciting a $2,000 bribe from an official from Spoleta Construction in the summer of 1997 at the Grand Pointe Park development off Salt Point Turnpike. Prosecutors said the money was given in exchange for a needed certificate of occupancy on the project and that Kortright split the bribe with Pickles, his former boss.

Raucci — who committed suicide in October of 1997 — allegedly solicited $30,000 in bribes from Spoleta at the same site earlier that year.

Kortright claimed at trial that he was acting on Pickles’ orders and accepted the money because he feared retribution from his boss. The 33-year-old Wappingers Falls resident claimed he did not keep any of the money, which came in the form of a check to B&H Tire Service, a company run by Kortright’s father.

Robert Kortright claimed he gave the check to his father, who deposited it, and then took $1,000 of his own money to pay off Pickles.

Kortright testified his father kept the other $1,000 because Pickles owed that amount for work done on his car.
But the jury did not buy Kortright’s excuse, convicting him after only two hours of deliberation following the five-day trial.

Ronald Cohen — Kortright’s new attorney — asked that his client be sentenced to home confinement. Cohen said Kortright received poor advice from his trial attorney — Solomon Abrahams — and that he should have accepted a plea deal offered by prosecutors prior to the trial.

‘‘I believe Mr. Kortright has been ill served,’’ Cohen said.
Abrahams could not be reached.

Judge cites perjury

But Judge Casey accused Kortright of committing perjury when he took the stand in his own defense last October — a factor that led the judge to impose a prison term under federal sentencing guidelines ‘‘in light of Mr. Kortright’s perjury and his constant unwillingness to accept full responsibility for his actions.’’

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathy Seibel — who prosecuted Kortright — agreed.

‘‘This is a case where the defendant’s perjury was as blatant as I have seen in 11 and a half years,’’ Seibel said. ‘‘He was trying to put one over on the court.’’

Kortright refused comment after sentencing. Cohen said he is considering appealing the sentence.

‘‘Mr. Kortright is caught in a system that blatantly rewards people who save the government their obligation to try defendants,’’ Cohen said. ‘‘The system is geared to encourage pleas and cooperation, and to discourage trials.’’

Kortright’s family was unhappy with the sentence. Some members questioned why Pickles — a man they say called the shots — got no jail time.

‘‘I don’t think they are out for justice,’’ said Kortright’s sister, Donna Stratis, of the government. ‘‘It’s like a big game and we don’t know how to play.’’

‘‘I hope they get everybody in the Town of Poughkeepsie who they are supposed to get,’’ said another sister, Pamela Kortright.

Pickles resigned his post a week before Kortright’s arrest in March 1998, claiming at the time the two developments were not related.

Kortright called a victim

Kortright was fired by town officials two days after his arrest.

Pickles had not been charged at the time of Kortright’s trial but entered a guilty plea the following week to one count of bribery in a deal with federal authorities.

Asked if Kortright was a victim of Jim Pickles, Cohen said ‘‘yes.’’

Pickles could not be reached Wednesday.

Seibel said in court that Pickles’ sentence was because of a lower threshold of offense.

‘‘He did not perjure himself,’’ Seibel said.

Marlene Galow — a Democrat running for the 2nd Ward council seat this fall — said Kortright is not the probe’s likely target.

‘‘I think he’s the fall guy,’’ Galow said. ‘‘He’s the guy getting the punishment for the people who put him up to do this. ... I’m very annoyed he’s taking the rap for other people.’’

The investigation by the FBI and the state Commission of Investigation also led to Redl’s arrest last February. He was charged with bribery for allegedly giving town Assessor David Stokes $1,000 in August 1998 in exchange for leaving some of Redl’s properties off the tax rolls.

Stokes — who court papers indicate is cooperating with authorities — has not been charged.

Redl, 68, of Pleasant Valley, is free without bail. He faces a maximum 10 years in jail and fines up to $250,000 if convicted of the charge.