Richard Rubin -- husband of former Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, who still faces seven felony charges of her own -- was sentenced this morning to ten months in federal prison.
Rubin, 66, pleaded guilty in April to federal tax evasion after failing to report $100,000 in fees he received from the town of Davie for a land deal he brokered in 2004.
With attorney David Bogenschutz at his side, Rubin managed to get only ten months up the river -- which is in accordance with sentencing guidelines but much less than the maximum penalty of five years.
Rubin had said in court that he and the wife faced financial burdens from damage
done to their home by Hurricane Wilma and also owed on a loan he could
not repay -- which is why he attempted to cheat on his taxes a bit.
That also wasn't too long after Rubin took in $1.1 million for writing grants for the town of Southwest Ranches -- grants that were approved in part by the votes of his wife while she was a county commissioner.
Then, the probable-cause affidavit released last year contended, the couple was living quite lavishly -- including spending money on artwork, cruises, vacations to Europe, and a $150,000 home repair project.
Rubin wasn't charged with tax evasion until April of this year.
The State Attorney's Office, however, charged Wasserman-Rubin last year with seven counts of felony unlawful compensation related to her votes for her husband's grant-writing.
Rubin has until August 31 to report to his new home at a minimum-security prison.
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