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Ex-Police Chief Says He's Found God, Seeking Reduced Sentence For Extortion

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A former southwestern Pennsylvania police chief serving more than 11 years behind bars for extortion wants a federal judge to reduce his sentence to less than seven years because he's tried to turn his life around and found God.

A federal appeals court in September ordered U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti to resentence 58-year-old Donald Solomon.

That hearing is scheduled for Jan. 6.

The former East Washington Borough chief had pleaded guilty to extorting about $8,000 from undercover FBI agents he thought were drug dealers. In exchange, Solomon allegedly offered protection during two staged drug deals and agreed to buy them police-issued stun guns.

The appeals court found Judge Conti wrongly increased Solomon's punishment under guidelines for drug and extortion offenses.

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