CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The former prosecutor against ex-coal company chief Don Blankenship expects him to serve his full, one-year sentence in a minimum-security federal prison.
Former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin made the comments Thursday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ruby confirmed that time off for good behavior applies only to terms more than a year.
On Wednesday, Blankenship was sentenced to the maximum penalties of a year in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiring to willfully violate mine safety standards at Upper Big Branch Mine.
The southern West Virginia coal mine exploded in 2010, killing 29 men.
A jury convicted him of the misdemeanor on Dec. 3.
Judge Irene Berger declined to let Blankenship stay free on a $1 million bond while he appeals the case.
Goodwin left office after Blankenship's conviction to run for governor.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
