 [NYPOST] Philadelphia’s longest-serving sheriff is now serving behind bars.
Former Philly Sheriff John Green was sentenced to five years in federal prison Thursday for a long running pay-to-play scheme that saw him pocket $675,000 in kickbacks, including a new house, a cozy job for his wife and more than $200,000 in campaign cash.
Prosecutors said Green even got $320,000 to buy a retirement home in Florida.
"Public officials hold office to serve the public good, not to line their own pockets," William McSwain, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement.
Green, 68, ran the scheme with James Davis, a local businessman who was rewarded with $35 million in city contracts between 2002 and 2011.
Prosecutors said Green essentially turned over his department’s property sales to Davis’ firm, which padded fees and cashed in on advertising for foreclosed homes in the city.
Green’s wife ended up with a $89,000-a-year job and the couple got a "move-in-ready home" after their 2003 wedding.
Green was a city cop for more than 25 years when he was elected sheriff, serving another 22 years in the past until resigning mid-term in 2010. The city then hired a private auditing firm to investigate the books, which lead to an indictment against the top cop in 2015.
"When public servants abuse their authority and flout the rule of law, they disgrace themselves and the offices they hold," McSwain said. "That is what Green did here and he is now paying the price."
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