ST. LOUIS – US District Judge Catherine Perry sentenced Steve Stenger to serve 46 months in prison.
He will not be in custody right away. Stenger will have to report on Sept. 21. It’s unclear where he will have to serve his prison sentence.
“Every sentencing I do is a sad day,” said Perry as she delivered her order to Stenger. “It’s especially sad for the citizens of St. Louis County who deserved better from you.”
When the former county executive addressed the court, he said, “I heartfully apologize and I am deeply sorry to my constituents…I regret my actions and I have a deep and constant feeling of remorse.”
Stenger will have to pay a $250,000 court fine on top of the $130,000 restitution he's already paid. Two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars is the most the judge could order him to pay.
This is all in connection to a pay-to-play scheme that Stenger orchestrated at the highest levels of St. Louis County government. He pleaded guilty in May to multiple federal corruption charges.
Stenger’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, described to Perry the remorse that he saw in someone he described as a longtime friend. “Stenger has accepted his responsibility in a substantial fashion,” Rosenblum said.
He added that the good choices that he made as county executive, and kindness that Rosenblum witnessed, should mitigate Stenger’s sentence.
The federal prosecutor framed Stenger’s actions differently. Hal Goldsmith pointed out that Stenger began his campaign with criticism of the previous county executive Charlie Dooley, accusing him of many of the same violations of trust that Stenger pleaded guilty to just four years later.
Stenger did not comment for reporters when he left the courthouse.
However, Rosenblum said, "I have no doubt he'll take this period of incarceration to continue to take programs, and when he gets out as you'll see he's a very hardworking man who's been very successful. I have no doubt he'll continue to be successful in his next endeavor."
Stenger admitted to using his elected office to seek political donations and in turn, he awarded lucrative county contracts to those donors.
"Steve Stenger abused his power as an elected official to benefit himself," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Had the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office not stopped Stenger from misusing taxpayer dollars for his personal gain, he would have continued to run St. Louis County into the ground. He will now have years in federal prison to reflect on the cost of his greed.”
“Public service is a public trust,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith. “Through his illegal pay to play scheme aimed at filling his own political coffers, the former County Executive shattered that trust. The residents of St. Louis County and St. Louis County government employees have suffered immeasurable harm as a result. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute public corruption wherever it exists, and work to restore the public’s trust in its elected officials.”
St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch, who was in court for Stenger's sentencing, echoed those sentiments.
"There's no doubt in my mind there's been a lot of damage done and it will take us years to recover from that damage. I look forward to moving on at this point. Unfortunately I don't think it's over. I think there could be more charges," he said.
His child is expected to be born within the first two weeks of September.