Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- Sentencing for former South Carolina State University trustee has been rescheduled for May 20.
Jonathan Pinson was previously scheduled to be sentenced in April, but that hearing was postponed.
A federal jury convicted Pinson in July on 29 charges including racketeering. Prosecutors say Pinson used his position at the university to take kickbacks, and say he skimmed on deals from a Columbia housing project and a Marion County diaper plant.
Last week, letters from several community leaders were filed in federal court asking for a "reasonable sentence" for Pinson. Columbia Mayor Steven Benjamin, State Representative Todd Rutherford and Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine were among those who wrote on Pinson's behalf.
Pinson's lawyers have asked for the judge to consider a sentencing below the advisory sentencing range of 63-78 months in prison, arguing Pinson's activities do not merit that long of a sentence. They say several other co-defendants in the case were given probation and a similar sentence should be considered for Pinson.
His attorneys also point to probation sentences recently given to other South Carolina public officials who have pleaded guilty to charges while in office. There examples included the 10 month federal sentence for former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel on drug charges, 5 years probation for former Lieutenant Governor Ken Ard for misusing campaign money, and 3 years of probation for former Speaker of the SC House of Representatives Bobby Harrell.
