In earlier hearings, where the defendants entered guilty pleas, government prosecutors said that Anthony M. ``The Saint’’ St. Laurent, a capo regime in the Patriarca crime family, directed the extortion plot from his home at 2 Rotary Dr., in Johnston.

The prosecutors said that St. Laurent directed Silva and James G. Manning, 64, of Cranston, to travel to Massachusetts and get the money from the two intended victims. St. Laurent instructed Silva and Manning to ``bash’’ the two targets if they failed to pay.

Manning has pleaded guilty to extortion and is awaiting sentencing.

On April 6, 2006, Silva, Manning and an FBI informant traveled to Massachusetts to search for the men. Once there, they teamed up with Lawrence Crites, of Taunton, Mass., who was supposed to help them find the extortion victims.

The informant wore a hidden microphone and recorded conversations between St. Laurent, Silva, Manning and Crites. This week, Crites pleaded guilty to extortion. He will be sentenced on Oct. 12.

At today’s hearing, the informant was identified as Silva’s brother-in-law.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Madden told the court that Silva deserved the maximum penalty based on his criminal history and his willingness to cross state lines and violently attack two strangers for money. He pointed out that Silva has 31 criminal convictions including several involving firearms. ``Rehabilitation has passed Mr. Silva by,’’ Madden said.

Silva’s lawyer, Charles Tamulevicz, argued that it would be unfair to sentence Silva to a term longer than the 56 months St. Laurent received last winter. He said that St. Laurent directed the extortion ring and should, therefore, receive the toughest punishment.

Tamulevicz also said that the extortion scheme was ``not a sophisticated undertaking’’ and that they never found the two men they were supposed to shakedown anyway.

Before imposing the sentence, Silva rose from his seat at the defense table to address the court. He wore a pair of khaki prison-issued johnnies that are worn by the prisoners at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls.

``I would just like to apologize to the courts and the government,’’ he said. ``This has hurt me and my family. The fact of the matter is that I don’t want to put them through this anymore. That’s all I’ve got to say.’’

Lisi was not swayed. She told Silva that he could have decided against participating in the plot. Instead, she said, he was a willing participant. ``It was simply another job. Go out and beat somebody up.’’

She also said that she was not the sentencing judge in the St. Laurent case and it had no impact on his case.

At the end of the sentencing, federal marshals cranked a set of handcuffs on Silva’s wrists. As he was led from the courtroom, he yelled to a group of high school students attending a summer program at Brown University.

``Stay in school!’’