Former Aptix CEO sentenced to 17 years

SAN FRANCISCO — Amr Mohsen, the former chairman and CEO of a Aptix Corp. who was implicated in a murder-for-hire plot in 2004, was sentenced to 17 years in prison Friday (Jan. 5) following a March 2006 conviction on 17 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, perjury, obstruction of justice and other counts, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney here.

Mohsen, 59, was further sentenced to a five-year term of supervised release following the 17-year term, the statement said.

"The court's sentence sends a strong signal that those who would seek to subvert the rule of law in the civil and criminal justice system will be held accountable for their actions," said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan.

On March 15, 2006, a federal jury acquitted Mohsen of trying to solicit the murder of Federal Judge William Alsup, but found him guilty of witness tampering and soliciting arson. In February 2006, the same jury found Mohsen guilty of several counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and mail fraud in connection with a 2000 patent dispute.

Mohsen was charged in 2004 with 23 federal criminal counts carrying a potential combined prison sentence of more than 130 years.

The government had charged that Mohsen, while in custody in Dublin, Calif., attempted to hire a fellow inmate to threaten witnesses and kill Alsup, the federal judge presiding over a perjury case against Amr Mohsen and his brother, Aly, who in January 2006 pleaded guilty to seven counts of obstruction of justice related to the case.

Aly Mohsen was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Dec. 8, 2006.