. . . to report to prison on Jan 8
Robert Simels, the flambouyant New York criminal lawyer who specialised in defending drug kingpins, will early next year find himself living behind bars just like his former clients.

Simels was yesterday sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson presiding in the Brooklyn Federal Court and ordered to pay a fine of US$225,000, but will spend the festive season with his family and will report to prison on January 8, to start serving his sentence.

Simels rose to fame when he defended the likes of Slike Henry Hill, whose exploits were the basis of the 1990 Martin Scorsese mob film “Goodfellas” and legendary drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.

Simels, who also previously worked as special assistant attorney general for the New York Special Prosecutor’s Office, and legal commentator for FOX News and CNN, was defending convicted Guyanese drug lord Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan against cocaine-trafficking conspiracy charges when he found himself on the wrong side of the law.

In August he was found guilty by a 12-member jury in a Brooklyn courtroom of 12 charges which included witness tampering, bribery, and illegal possession of eavesdropping equipment.

Until his sentencing yesterday, Simels was on house arrest and had been wearing an electronic bracelet as ordered by the Judge Gleeson.

Meanwhile, Simels’ associate, Arienne Irving, 31, who was charged along with him but was only convicted on two witness-tampering counts, had lady luck on her side as the judge threw out her conviction.