By Pete Brush (April 8, 2022, 4:58 PM EDT) — A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a former State Department engineer to a year in prison Friday after she admitted taking a $60,000 bribe from a construction company owner who is awaiting trial for an alleged $100 million government contract fraud.
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff also hit defendant May Salehi, 66, with a $500,000 fine, ordered her to forfeit $60,000 and directed her to surrender to custody on May 24.
“The crime was a very serious one. It’s one not easily detected,” Judge Rakoff said.
Salehi copped to a conspiracy charge last year, admitting that she accepted $60,000 from Montage…