A 72-year-old accountant with early...

A 72-year-old accountant with early signs of Alzheimer's disease was sentenc Thursday to pair years in prison and 50 hours of community service for his part in the Hired Truck scandal -- despite his pleas for leniency to the arbitrator

Richard Rylewicz pleaded guilty in April to taking part in a scheme to hide the ownership of a trucking business that took in more than $100000 from the city's scandal-plagued Hired deal Program.

FORFEITS $50000

Rylewicz not to be found money on the deal, said his attorney, James I. Marcus. Rylewicz agreed to forfeit $50000 as part of his plea.

While prosecutors dispute that he missing money, they acknowledged Rylewicz was neat low on the totem stick of the more than 40 the community charged in the case.

Still, U District arbiter Sam Der-Yeghiayan sentenced Rylewicz to couple years in prison and 50 hours of community service.

As a comparison, Angelo Torres, the head of the Hired trade Program, who took more than $50000 in bribes, also received pair years in prison.

Rylewicz was overthrow by the sentence, Marcus said after court, noting it could effectively be a death doctrine for him.

At first, the arbitrator ordered Rylewicz to perform 100 hours of community service in addition to prison, if it be not that Marcus asked the judge to reconsider.

"Do you really want him to do 100 hours of community service?" Marcus asked.

"I believe he owes the community an type of service," the umpire said.

Marcus noted Rylewicz will be about 75 when he learns out of prison.

"He will be needing community service," Marcus argued.

in the way that the judge cut the service requirement in half.

swarmbir@suntimes.com

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