A federal judge in Toledo, Ohio, has set Sept. 12 as the sentencing date for coin dealer Tom Noe, who was convicted May 31 of laundering $45,400 into President Bush?s re-election.
Noe, 52, faces 24 to 30 months in prison and substantial fines for violating federal campaign-finance laws by using conduits to make illegal contributions.
However, prosecutors indicated that they will push for a tougher sentence because of the ?potential loss of public faith on the presidential campaign? as a result of the case.
The sentencing date is just weeks before Noe is set to stand trial on separate state charges that he stole from a $50 million rare-coin fund he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Noe has pleaded not guilty to a 53-count felony indictment that includes allegations of corruption, grand theft, money laundering, forgery and tampering with records.
His cases have caused a ripple throughout Ohio politics, resulting in resignations of state officials and criminal convictions, including Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who was convicted of not reporting inappropriate gifts from Noe.
