By C1 Staff
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A man who planned the attempted escape of his son who is currently incarcerated in Peru will spend four months behind bars.
ABC News reports that William Trickett Smith Sr., 77, will complete the sentence after he’s finished the prison time he received for arson and insurance fraud.
Smith Sr. is a former attorney and chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Committee.
Smith Sr. is accused by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of attempting to arrange his son’s escape, lying to federal agents about it, and trying to persuade someone else to lie to federal agents.
William Trickett Smith II was arrested in Pennsylvania in 2007 for the murder of his wife. He’s accused of dismembering her, stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping her body at sea. Before he was extradited to Peru, his father filed a false private criminal complaint that would cause a hearing to be scheduled and requiring Smith II to be transported to Harrisburg.
The plan was that a stop would be made along the way, the transporting constable would be assaulted, and Smith II would escape, according to prosecutors.
The transport fell through when the district attorney didn’t approve the criminal complaint.
Smith Sr. then came up with a second plan, this time involving bribing a correctional officer. This plan failed when Smith II was extradited to Peru.
He lied about the plans when questioned by the FBI.
Smith Sr. began serving a prison sentence of two-and-a-half to five years in November 2012 for setting fire to a guest house behind his home in May 2007. He was facing disbarment and a state investigation for taking funds from clients’ estates, and had received notice that his insurance on the property was being canceled.
He previously served time in federal prison for mail fraud, racketeering and conspiracy in a bid-rigging scandal.