A helicopter-flying Utah businessman who was a central figure in a pay-to-play scandal involving two former state attorneys general is set to be sentenced for lying to banks to keep his online business afloat.
Federal prosecutors contend Jeremy Johnson is a con man who should get up to 22 years in prison at a sentencing hearing set for Friday.
Johnson says he was transparent in his business dealings and prosecutors cherry-picked emails to build their case. He was convicted on eight counts of making false statements to banks, but the jury cleared him of dozens more charges, including fraud and conspiracy.
He's been held in jail ahead of sentencing since April. U.S. District Judge David Nuffer decided Thursday Johnson won't get a break for helping with a separate investigation into the state's former top lawmen.
