Onetime 9/11 hero gets prison in NYC bribe case

NEW YORK (AP) — A former government official hailed for helping two people escape the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 has received a prison sentence for taking payoffs related to the cleanup.

Mark Jakubek was sentenced today to one to three years in prison. The defense plans to seek bail while a planned appeal plays out.

The ex-Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official could have received as much as 25 years behind bars.

He previously spent about a year in prison for a separate case. In that case, he admitted taking kickbacks to hasten payments to contractors whose bills got lost in the attacks.