A Clarksville man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of probation for conspiring to transport and distribute untaxed alcohol.
Amrik Singh Melhi, 52, pleaded guilty Dec. 20 at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He will forfeit $975,327 to the government.
Melhi and his wife, Ravinder Kaur Melhi, owned liquor stores in Hyattsville, Lanham and Bel Air. In a plea agreement, he admitted to conspiring with a Prince George's County police officer and others to transport and sell contraband alcohol, the Justice Department said.
He also admitted to agreeing to give money, campaign donations and other gifts to former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson in exchange for licenses, permit inspections and favorable legislation, the Justice Department said.
The former police officer, Richard Delabrer, 46, of Laurel, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, authorities said.
Ravinder Kaur Melhi, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy arising from a scheme to illegally access a protected Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration computer for commercial and personal gain, the Justice Department said. She has been sentenced to 18 months of probation and fined $25,000.