Former state Sen. Dean Skelos and his son Adam were sentenced to prison Thursday on corruption charges.

Dean Skelos was sentenced to five years after a government filing demanded a stiff sentence of 12 to 15 years. Skelos' son, Adam, was sentenced to 6 1/2 years.

The sentences came about a week after former state Assembly leader Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison for other corruption charges.

"The nearly simultaneous convictions of Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos, whose corruption crimes were laid bare during fair and public trials, have no precedent," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a statement. "And while Silver and Skelos deserve their prison sentences, the people of New York deserve better."

State government watchdog groups say the convictions send a message to other politicians who might use their office for personal gain.

The father and son were convicted in December after Skelos used his powerful position to pressure businesses to provide Adam with about $300,000 of consulting work. In addition, Skelos arranged for his son a no-show job and a payment of $20,000.

Both Skelos men asked the judge to be lenient on the other. And neither gave comment to reporters as they left the courtroom.

As News 12 has reported, wiretaps played a large role in getting the two convicted of corruption and extortion. The two also spoke to each other on the phone knowing they were being recorded.

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood told Dean Skelos that he caused immeasurable damage to New Yorkers' confidence in the integrity of government.

The judge fined Skelos $500,000 and ordered him to forfeit over $300,000.