El-Amin gave up his seat in the state legislature after being charged with bribery last fall.
Advisory sentencing guidelines had called for between eighteen and 24 months.
In addition to the prison sentence, El-Amin must pay $2,100 in restitution. That's the magic number that the former state representative asked a gas station owner to pay him in order to "take care of" alleged harassment by city inspectors, according to court papers.
"The cash payments were made to El-Amin by John Doe at El-Amin's office on Union Boulevard in North St. Louis," reads a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "The cash payments included $500 on May 1, 2009, $600 on May 8, 2009, $500 on May 15, 2009, and $500 on May 21, 2009. El-Amin solicited an additional $500 cash for himself, as well as $1000 cash purportedly to be paid as a bribe to a city department head."
No city department head has been charged in the case.
