Lexington, Ky. — Charles “Chuck” Hart, age 55, of Salt Lick, Kentucky was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for obstruction of justice, vote buying, and making false statements to federal agents by United States Senior District Court Judge Joseph M. Hood.

In June, 2007, Hart was found guilty by a jury of the charges. The evidence at trial established that during the February 2007 trial of Bath County Attorney Champ Maze Hart schemed with Maze and former Bath County PVA Paul Goodpaster to attempt to contact a juror sitting on the Maze jury for the purpose of attempting to influence his judgment in favor of Maze. It also came out at trial that Hart had attempted to contact one of the jurors in his own case.

Hart also was convicted of lying to the FBI during the investigation into the jury tampering, and of buying the votes of two Bath County voters during the May, 2006 primary election.

Under federal law, Hart must served 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 3 years.

James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Tracy A. Reinhold, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth R. Taylor.

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