Ex-VECO kingpin Bill Allen gets three years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

A district court judge sentenced the key witness in the federal government's wide-sweeping investigation of Alaska political corruption to three years in prison and a $750,000 fine on Wednesday.

Former VECO Corp. CEO Bill Allen, 72, pleaded guilty in 2007 to bribery, conspiracy and extortion. Allen and VECO Vice President Rick Smith bribed numerous state lawmakers, and then helped federal prosecutors with wire taps, video-taped conversations, and testimony to convict most of the legislators caught up in the scandal.

Later in the day Smith received a 21-month prison sentence and $10,000 fine."Democracy doesn't work if it's corrupt," Judge John Sedwick said before giving Allen his sentence. "We enjoy the benefits of a true democracy, and from time to time that democracy is threatened, as it was here."

If only the Alaska politicians had any idea just how damaging their relationship with Bill Allen would turn out to be, they would probably have run screaming in the other direction the minute they saw him approaching.

Associating with him sent Pete Kott, and Vic Kohring to prison, and got Senator Ted Stevens indicted.

In the not too distant future he will probably be instrumental in putting both Congressman Don Young and Teddy's little acorn, Ben Stevens, in jail as well.

Dennis Zaki filmed Allen and his family doing the "walk of shame" as they left the federal courthouse together. They were NOT in a good mood.