NORFOLK
A 20-year Coast Guard veteran was sentenced Monday to nine months in federal prison for passing confidential information to his mistress, the owner of a fishing fleet who was convicted of hiring illegal immigrant workers.
Morris Wade Hughes of Chesapeake also will serve five months of home confinement after his release from prison. U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson imposed a $2,000 fine as well.
Hughes, 50, was found guilty of three misdemeanors in February involving unauthorized access of government computers and unlawful dissemination of confidential information. A jury acquitted Hughes of more serious felony charges.
During a three-year affair with Michelle Peabody, who runs the Newport News commercial fishing company Peabody Corp., Hughes passed confidential information to her regarding, among other things, the location of competing vessels.
Hughes, a law enforcement officer who had been stationed in Yorktown, sought to avoid prison time. But Jackson found that his violation of public trust was deserving of some incarceration.
Federal prosecutors sought even more prison time, arguing that Hughes lied on the witness stand during his trial.
Hughes is awaiting word from the Coast Guard on whether he will be granted an honorable discharge with full benefits, his attorney, Keith Kimball, an assistant federal public defender, told the judge in a court memo.
Peabody was sentenced to 90 days in prison for hiring undocumented workers. The two cases were uncovered during the same investigation.
Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com
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Way Way too easy on him!
Morris Wade Hughes should have been sentenced to 2-5 years for his offenses. He is a disgrace to his uniform and he broke the public trust. How did he get off with a slap on the wrist 9 months???
Amen.
They need to spend more time in jail. They wanna rape the Bay of the crabs and fish, and do it with illegal immigrants so they can pocket every dollar they can get. Low life scum.
Hiring undocumented workers
Hiring undocumented workers get you a light sentence if any. Now, there's a law that needs to change!