ANCHORAGE — A federal judge sentenced former Mat-Su Valley state Rep. Vic Kohring to 42 months in prison Thursday for federal corruption and bribery convictions.

The decision came after nearly an hour of final comments by state prosecutors, Kohring’s defense counsel and Kohring himself, who maintained his innocence.

A jury convicted the seven-term legislator in 2007 of conspiracy, bribery and attempted extortion while in public office for taking money from former executives of oil services company VECO. Kohring has until June 30 to self-surrender, during which time he will have an operation on his spine needed after a recent automobile accident in which his attorney was driving.

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Most of the comments from both counsels at Thursday’s sentencing centered on money Kohring received from former VECO CEO Bill Allen, to whom prosecutors said Kohring promised favors. Kohring said he feels betrayed by Allen and former VECO Vice President Rick Smith, who testified for the prosecution during Kohring’s trial.

As Kohring walked into U.S. District Court in Anchorage, he said he was feeling fine and optimistic about the day.

“Today’s off to a good start,” Kohring said as he entered court.

During the hearing, state prosecutors painted a picture of Kohring as a self-serving man willing to take advantage of others to help himself. They argued he should go to prison as an example to others who may commit similar crimes.

Kohring’s Seattle-based lawyer John Henry Browne countered those arguments by saying Kohring is a good man who fell upon hard financial times and looked to friends for help. He said money accepted from Allen and other oil company executives were gifts and not bribes.

Arguing for a lenient sentence of eight months, Browne cited media reports that some jurors were feeling remorse following the trial, saying if they’d known what kind of sentence Kohring could get they may have decided differently.

Leah Jackson, one of the jurors who found Kohring guilty, said she thought the 3.5-year sentence was too harsh. Jackson refused to comment on why the jury convicted Kohring.

As Browne continued to lobby for a lenient sentence, he described Kohring as a gentle giant. The comment drew sharp criticism from prosecutors, who countered by saying Kohring is a “corrupt gentle giant.”

When it was time for Kohring to address the court, he said he is innocent and that the ordeal has ruined him. He said his wife is divorcing him, his house is in foreclosure and he has no money. Kohring said he was even forced to hitchhike to court Thursday morning after a borrowed truck he was driving broke down.

“The resulting conviction has destroyed me,” he said.

Kohring also blasted U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick for having a what he calls a conflict of interest while presiding over the trial. Sedwick’s wife was once a political foe of Kohring who was put out of a job due to legislative changes by the seven-term Republican, he says. Kohring also said he takes exception to Sedwick living across the street from one of the trial’s witnesses.

“I’ll wonder for the rest of my life if I got a fair trial,” Kohring said.

He added that by speaking before the court he was not begging for leniency, but wanted to reiterate his disappointment over Sedwick not recusing himself from the trial.

“I refuse to cower before you in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence,” Kohring said.

Following his sentencing, Kohring maintained his composure as he was rushed by a mob of media in the courthouse lobby. Kohring and his lawyer said they plan to appeal the sentence.

Kohring said he will continue to fight the conviction and attempt to prove his innocence from a jail cell if need be. That jail cell will be located in the Sheridan, Ore., federal prison where former state representatives Pete Kott and Tom Anderson are serving six- and five-year sentences, respectively. All were part of the federal investigation into corruption of state lawmakers in return for favors for VECO.

Speaking by cell phone from Juneau Thursday afternoon, Senate President Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, said she remembers Kohring as a hard-working campaigner and legislator.

“He had a different kind of style and purpose for what he was doing,” Green said.

She declined to comment extensively on Kohring’s legal troubles, saying she hasn’t followed the trial because of her own schedule. She said, in her opinion, the Legislature has continued unabated even in the face of corruption scandals and convictions. She would only add one brief comment about Kohring.

“It’s very sad,” Green said.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito@frontiersman.com.