US media magnate Martha Stewart, who built a billion-dollar empire by giving fashion tips, was -- on July 16 -- sentenced to five months in prison and a $30,000 fine for lying to US federal authorities investigating her sale of stock in a friend's company.
New York District Court Judge Miriam Cedarbaum also ordered that Stewart get five months of home detention and two years of supervised probation after she is released.
Stewart was convicted on March 5 of lying to the US government about her sale of about 4,000 shares of ImClone Systems in December 2001. The 62-year old founder of Martha Stewart Omnimedia was convicted on all four counts in the obstruction of justice case.
Stewart said it was a "shameful day" for her, adding that during her legal journey "the personal attacks spread like oil over a vast landscape" and she had "felt suffocated to death."
Stewart's attorneys said they have 10 days to file their motion for an appeal.