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TechnographScott Fawell's girlfriend gets four months for lying to jury
By The Associated Press
Posted: 8/1/06 Section: News
CHICAGO - The woman who got George Ryan's longtime top aide to spill the former governor's political secrets in court was sentenced Monday to four months in prison for lying to a federal grand jury.
"I've tried to make amends for the wrong I've done," Andrea Coutretsis said, wiping away a tear as she stood before Judge James F. Holderman.
Coutretsis, 37, admitted lying six times to a grand jury investigating corruption under Ryan. But she also traveled to a South Dakota prison and persuaded her jailed fiance, Scott Fawell, to testify against Ryan.
Fawell was leadoff witness at the racketeering trial that ended in the conviction of Ryan and friend Larry Warner. Sentencing is set for Sept. 6.
Fawell, serving a 6 1/2-year racketeering sentence and openly defiant toward prosecutors, had originally refused to cooperate with them.
But after Coutretsis appealed to him he changed his mind, saying at a court hearing, "My love for Andrea outweighs my disdain for this system."
Fawell testified under an agreement with prosecutors that provided for a break for Coutretsis.
Lead prosecutor Patrick Collins asked Holderman to sentence Coutretsis to six months but told Holderman that she deserved a break because "she did everything in her power plus to put truth back into the system."
Under advisory federal guidelines, Coutretsis could have been sentenced to as much as 18 months. She pleaded guilty under a deal that could have gotten her probation or as much as one year and a day.
"I would like very much to grant probation, but it would not afford an adequate deterrence to the conduct you engaged in," Holderman said.
Coutretsis and Fawell met while he was Ryan's chief of staff in the secretary of state's office. She quickly became his assistant. She followed him when he managed Ryan's successful 1998 race for governor.
"I've tried to make amends for the wrong I've done," Andrea Coutretsis said, wiping away a tear as she stood before Judge James F. Holderman.
Coutretsis, 37, admitted lying six times to a grand jury investigating corruption under Ryan. But she also traveled to a South Dakota prison and persuaded her jailed fiance, Scott Fawell, to testify against Ryan.
Fawell was leadoff witness at the racketeering trial that ended in the conviction of Ryan and friend Larry Warner. Sentencing is set for Sept. 6.
Fawell, serving a 6 1/2-year racketeering sentence and openly defiant toward prosecutors, had originally refused to cooperate with them.
But after Coutretsis appealed to him he changed his mind, saying at a court hearing, "My love for Andrea outweighs my disdain for this system."
Fawell testified under an agreement with prosecutors that provided for a break for Coutretsis.
Lead prosecutor Patrick Collins asked Holderman to sentence Coutretsis to six months but told Holderman that she deserved a break because "she did everything in her power plus to put truth back into the system."
Under advisory federal guidelines, Coutretsis could have been sentenced to as much as 18 months. She pleaded guilty under a deal that could have gotten her probation or as much as one year and a day.
"I would like very much to grant probation, but it would not afford an adequate deterrence to the conduct you engaged in," Holderman said.
Coutretsis and Fawell met while he was Ryan's chief of staff in the secretary of state's office. She quickly became his assistant. She followed him when he managed Ryan's successful 1998 race for governor.
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