Feds drop fraud case against Adelphia founder, son

Federal prosecutors have ended a six-year legal fight against the imprisoned father-son executives of a defunct Pennsylvania cable company after deeming the tax fraud charges against them not worth pursuing.

Prosecutors decided Wednesday to drop a tax-fraud case against Adelphia Communications Corp. founder John Rigas and his son Timothy because it wasn't likely to end in substantial additional jail time or restitution.

Both men are already in jail stemming from the collapse of the company in 2002 after prosecutors say father and son bilked it out of $1.9 billion.

Eighty-seven-year-old John Rigas has seven years left on his sentence. Timothy Rigas isn't expected to be released until 2022.

Their attorney tells The Patriot-News of Harrisburg (http://bit.ly/wex0KA ) the case should have never been brought in the first place.

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Information from: The Patriot-News, http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews

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