Mahoney and his wife, who both became naturalised US citizens after immigrating from Russia, were indicted in January after he told two clients seeking asylum to say they were homosexual and would be persecuted if they returned to their home countries.

Mahoney's ex-wife, Helen Mahoney, was also sentenced to six months' imprisonment for the crime, which involved supplying documents about homosexuality to one of the clients before a 2005 asylum interview, according to The Seattle Times.

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