SAN DIEGO -- A defense contractor snared in the bribery investigation that led to the downfall of former San Diego Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham was sentenced Monday in Washington, D.C., to two and a half years in federal prison.

Mitchell Wade also was fined $250,000 by U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina.

Cunningham is serving an eight-year prison sentence for accepting from Wade and others $2.4 million in bribes, including money that helped pay for a North County mansion, a yacht in the nation's capital, a Rolls-Royce car and antiques.

Federal prosecutors said that Wade had been helpful in developing evidence against the congressman and two San Diego natives -- Brent Wilkes and Kyle "Dusty" Foggo -- in their contracting fraud cases.

Wade, founder of MZM Inc., admitted that he funneled more than $1 million in bribes to Cunningham and making illegal campaign contributions to two other members of Congress.

Wade bought a Del Mar home from Cunningham from well over market value and sold it less than a year later at a $700,000 loss. The congressman then used the proceeds to buy a home in Rancho Santa Fe for $2.55 million.

Wade pleaded guilty in February 2006 to two counts of conspiracy and single counts of using interstate facilities to promote bribery and election fraud.

Foggo is to be sentenced Jan. 8 for one count of defrauding the United States. Wilkes is serving a 12-year prison sentence for bribery and money-laundering.