Former Philadelphia City Council member Bobby Henon was sentenced today to 3 1/2 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for taking bribes from former IBEW Local 98 leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty and related charges.

“The people thought they were electing a councilman, but instead they elected a minion for John Dougherty and Local 98. And that’s clearly not what the city bargained for,” U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Schmehl said.

Henon did take responsibility for his actions. “I tried my best to help every Philadelphian, especially those who were vulnerable and those in need — please know, I never took a day off,” he said. ”By putting the interest of my union first, I failed you.”

Henon must report to federal prison on April 17. Schmehl also ordered him to forfeit more than $207,000, pay a $50,000 fine and a $1,000 special assessment, and perform 100 hours of community service work.

His sentencing comes more than a year after a jury found him guilty of 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy and honest services fraud. Dougherty, who was also found guilty of 11 counts, has not been sentenced yet.

Henon, an electrician by trade, was named political director of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 98 by Dougherty in 1999, serving as the union’s chief lobbyist and organizer of its many election-related activities.

In 2011, with financial support from the union, Henon was elected to the District 6 Council seat. He later became majority leader.

The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating Dougherty and IBEW Local 98 since at least the mid-2000s. In 2015 and 2016 the FBI wiretapped phone lines belonging to Dougherty, Henon and other union officials and associates.

He was indicted on federal charges in 2019, along with Dougherty and several other union members. Henon resigned from Council in January 2022, two months after his conviction.

The 42-month sentence Henon received was on the shorter end compared to similar corruption prosecutions in the past. In 2005 former city treasurer Corey Kemp was convicted of accepting gifts from people seeking city contracts and got 10 years, and the following year former council member Rick Mariano was sentenced to 6 1/2 years for taking about $30,000 in bribes.

In 2009 former state senator Vince Fumo received a 4 1/2-year sentence on fraud, conspiracy, and other charges, while in 2017 former district attorney Seth Williams was sentenced to five years for corruption.

Henon can appeal his sentence. In addition, he and Dougherty have both said they would appeal their convictions.

Even if his sentence is not shortened, Henon may not end up serving his full prison term. Mariano, for example, was released after serving four years of his original sentence, and Williams’ stint in jail was shortened to three years for good behavior.