Congresswoman Grace Meng's father sentenced to jail

The father of Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) was sentenced to an unexpectedly light one month in jail on Tuesday for soliciting a bribe by claiming to be able to fix a criminal case.

Jimmy Meng, 68, was also ordered to serve four months house arrest, do 750 hours of community service, and pay a $30,000 fine by Brooklyn federal court Judge Allyne Ross. Prosecutors had asked for the sentence of 12 to 18 months called for by federal sentencing guidelines.

Rep. Meng appeared in court for the first time with her father, who told the judge he was sorry for the scheme. He had claimed to have a connection in the Manhattan district attorney's office, and sought $80,000 from a defendant in a tax case to purportedly bribe the prosecutor.

"Jimmy Meng held himself out as a power broker, able to buy and sell justice," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said. "In reality, he was a swindler who tried to obtain $80,000 for a nonexistent bribery scheme."