DOVER, Del. AP – A federal judge has sided with former Student Finance Corp. chief executive Andrew Yao in a dispute with prosecutors over how much prison time Yao should face for bankruptcy fraud.

In a ruling handed down Thursday in Wilmington, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Sleet said Yao’s conduct in making false statements during a bankruptcy deposition more closely resembles perjury than fraud, meaning Yao will face a lighter sentence than prosecutors wanted.