NEW YORK (Reuters) — The former head of sales at CA Inc. was sentenced to seven years in prison yesterday for participating in a $2.2 billion accounting scandal at the software company.Stephen Richards, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, securities fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice in April, two weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin. At that time he acknowledged his role in a scheme to improperly book revenue to meet Wall Street targets.

His sentence was lighter than the 12-year prison term handed down earlier this month to former CA chief executive Sanjay Kumar, who pleaded guilty to the same crimes.

When imposing Richards’ sentence, US District Judge I. Leo Glasser in federal court in Brooklyn said the former sales executive was a late participant in the fraud.

“The conspiracy was not one of which Mr. Richards was a founding member,” he said.

For all eight counts to which he pleaded guilty, Richards had faced a maximum sentence that amounted to life in prison.

CA, formerly known as Computer Associates International Inc., restated its results for fiscal 2001 through 2004 after Kumar and Richards left the company. The Islandia, New York-based company agreed to pay $225 million in shareholder restitution and to cooperate with the government as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.