Executive gets 2½ years for economic development fraud

NEW YORK (AP) — A corporate executive has been sentenced to 2½ years in prison for defrauding a New York state economic development program.
Joseph Gerardi was sentenced Thursday in the case involving the Buffalo Billion project. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said the sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who wants to cheat as they compete for contracts involving government funding.
Gerardi was convicted by a jury of conspiracy, wire fraud and making false statements to