Sacto 9-1-1: Library defendant 'prostituted' office, sentencing judge says

A judge sentenced the three defendants convicted in the Sacramento library corruption scandal to prison terms today, telling one of them, "You prostituted your office for personal gain."

Former library facilities superintendent Dennis Nilsson, 65, received a 14-year, eight-month prison term as well as a tongue-lashing from Sacramento Superior Court Judge Allen H. Sumner.

The library authority's one-time security chief James Mayle, 66, who once headed up the old Grant school district police force, was sentenced by Sumner to five years and four months.

Mayle's wife, Janie Rankins-Mayle, 63, who set up two billing companies that were central to a kickback scheme that cost county taxpayers at least $780,000, was sentenced to a six-year term.

The three were convicted in an overbilling fraud in which private contractors charged the library authority $562,000 for 1,400 jobs but were actually paid $1.34 million, with the excess profits rolling back to the three defendants.

Judge Sumner fined Nilsson $500,000 and Mayle $100,000. He also scheduled a restitution hearing for March 2.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Blazina said in court that he will then ask for a receiver to be appointed to investigate the defendants' assets.

Sumner said today's sentencing "brings to a close a sad chapter in our community."

The judge blasted the management of the city-county library authority that was in charge at the time the kickback scheme was uncovered in 2007. He said from the bench that had the library's management, under former director Anne Marie Gold, reacted more aggressively to charges of fraud in the agency, "we wouldn't be here today."

Library board member Jeff Slowey, the mayor of Citrus Heights, asked the judge to impose the maximum term available on both defendants.

Slowey said the two defendants were guilty of "an egregious betray of the public trust." He said the amount of money lost to taxpayers in the scheme could have purchased 40,000 new children's picture books and paid for two years of operations at the new library branch in the Pocket-Greenhaven area.

Nilsson's daughter, Lisa, asked the judge for leniency in sentencing her father, who has been in custody since his Dec. 9 conviction. Nilsson did not speak in court.

Mayle tried to read a letter he wrote to the court, saying he had been "fully exposed before the community, family and friends." He then broke down in tears and had his attorney, Stan Kubochi, continue reading his statement. Mayle later was handcuffed and taken into custody.

Janie Rankins-Mayle also was remanded by sheriff's deputies.