Texas oilman Wyatt sentenced in corruption scandal

New York

Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. was sentenced to a year in prison Tuesday for his role in corrupting the U.N. oil-for-food program, winning leniency from a judge who cited his military service during World War II and his many good deeds during his lifetime.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin imposed a sentence below that to which Wyatt, 83, had agreed when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy last month. Wyatt also agreed to forfeit $11 million.

Chicago

Accused spy gets 4 years

A man accused of being a "sleeper agent" sent to spy on Saddam Hussein's enemies in the U.S. was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison for lying about his ties to the regime.

Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer gave Sami Khoshaba Latchin, 61, less than two-thirds of the sentence of more than six years she could have imposed under federal guidelines.

Latchin listened through a translator and nodded his head as Pallmeyer said that he "wasn't very good as a spy" and there was no evidence he had posed a genuine threat.

New York

Assistant pleads not guilty in death

The personal assistant of a wealthy real-estate agent and punk-rock pioneer pleaded not guilty to murder on Tuesday, while court documents detailed her handwritten confession to her boss's beating death.

The assistant, Natavia Lowery, initially denied knowing anything about the death of Linda Stein, who was a former co-manager of the Ramones; then she blamed a masked man, according to court papers made public Tuesday.

Also

Astor estate: Anthony Marshall, 83, the son of philanthropist Brooke Astor, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he looted his mother's $198 million estate and conspired to have her sign a new will leaving her vast fortune to him.

Strikes: Broadway stagehands and theater producers will return to the bargaining table today; movie and television writers failed to reach a deal with producers in contract talks Tuesday evening.

Seattle Times news services