FBI agent's killer gets fewer than 16 years behind bars

The family of FBI Special Agent Sam Hicks spent hours mulling a plea deal that allowed his killer to spend less than 16 years in prison.

His widow, Brooke Hicks, said Tuesday she mainly wanted Christina Korbe to admit in court that she knew what she was doing when she fired a single shot at officers coming through the door to arrest her husband, Robert Korbe, on drug charges Nov. 19, 2008.

"There is no amount of time that's going to bring Sam back. There is no amount of time that's going to feel like it's right," said Hicks, 30, adding she wanted the case to be over so she can concentrate on raising their 4-year-old son, Noah.

"I don't want him to suffer any more than he already has," Hicks said.

In an unusual sequence, Korbe, 42, of Indiana Township pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm to commit a violent crime in exchange for a sentence of 15 years and 10 months, a term the prosecution and defense agreed to and U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry approved.

Legal experts and experienced criminal defense attorneys said the plea means the government was unsure it could get a murder conviction.

"I think (Assistant U.S. Attorney) Troy Rivetti was realistic about the case," said William Difenderfer, Robert Korbe's attorney. "The weaknesses of the case were that it was early in the morning, she fired one shot and then she calls 911."

Officers who worked with Hicks on task forces said they felt "betrayed" by the sentence, which they characterized as a slap on the wrist.

"Christina Korbe led a life of crime, along with her husband, and in no way was a stranger to a search warrant raid," said Chuck Hanlon, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1.

"She knew exactly what was going on, and we don't believe any of her excuses. She should be in jail and away from her kids for the rest of her life, just like Sam's son is going to be away from him for the rest of his. It's disgusting."

Before joining the FBI, Hicks was a Baltimore police officer. Baltimore Police Detective Donny Moses, who worked with Hicks before the agent joined the FBI, said he and other officers are disappointed.

"But at the end of the day, we know we have to put our faith in the system and hope it works. We have to make peace with it. Because even if they had rendered a longer sentence, it wouldn't bring Sam back," Moses said.

Korbe was scheduled to stand trial in March for the murder of a federal officer and eight assault, gun and drug charges. If convicted on those charges, she likely would have spent the rest of her life in prison. Instead, she'll receive credit for more than two years spent in jail. McVerry added three years of probation to her sentence.

"I've never had an agreed-to sentence in 36 years in federal court," said veteran defense attorney Patrick Thomassey.

"In this case, the defendant was in her home, she was a mother and was not alleged to be central in the drug conspiracy herself," said Duquesne University law professor Bruce Antkowiak. "These are all factors prosecutors have to consider. A jury may be hung, and then you're looking at trying it multiple times."

U.S. Attorney David Hickton said the government accepted the plea agreement after looking at "all the facts and circumstances" in the case.

McVerry ordered Korbe to forfeit her home and the revolver she used to kill Hicks. The judge will hold a hearing within three months to determine how much restitution Korbe must pay the Hicks family.

Robert Korbe wasn't charged in Hicks' death. He pleaded guilty to drug, gun and mail fraud charges. McVerry in September sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

The Korbes' two children, ages 10 and 5 at the time of the shooting, live with Christina Korbe's parents, her attorneys said.

Korbe will spend less time in prison for killing a federal agent than her husband received because she has no prior criminal record and he has an extensive criminal history, Hickton said.

"We're satisfied that justice was done," he said.

Korbe spent some time in court blaming police procedures and the government for Hicks' killing while apologizing to his family.

Hicks' mother, Charlotte Carrabotta, said she felt a "rush of anger" from Korbe's words and would prefer that Korbe spend life in prison. But she thinks her son wouldn't want the prosecution to drag on, she said.

"He would want this to be over," she said.

Korbe maintained that she thought burglars were breaking into her house and she fired the shot to scare them away.

Rivetti said police rang the doorbell and knocked on the door for about 30 seconds until Hicks, looking through a door window, saw Robert Korbe approaching. Korbe asked who they were and, when police identified themselves and said they had a warrant for his arrest, he ran to the basement and began destroying his drug cache, Rivetti said.

Rivetti said Christina Korbe didn't hit a panic button on the home alarm system to summon police.

University of Pittsburgh law professor John Burkoff said taking the case to trial was risky for both sides. The plea guarantees the government a conviction and allows Korbe to avoid a possible life sentence.

"There will always be people who think she should have gotten more or should have gotten less time," he said.