A Maine defense contractor who bribed officials at the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Ala., has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Sixty-five-year-old Maurice “Moe” Subilia Jr. of Kennebunkport was described by prosecutors as one of the masterminds of the scheme. His brother and his son-in-law received lesser sentences of two and three years on Friday.

They pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, money laundering and bribery.

Subilia had faced up to 40 years in prison. But attorney Toby Dilworth sought a penalty similar to the five-year sentence given to the government official accused of proposing the scheme. Dilworth says Subilia has cooperated and given up virtually everything he owns. He also suffers from heart problems and had a coronary bypass in October.

A Maine businessman was charged today in a Birmingham federal court with bribing two missile defense officials at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville in exchange for millions of dollars in no-bid contracts.

Maurice Subilia is charged with paying Michael Cantrell $1.2 million over a six-year period ending in 2007, court records show. Cantrell served as the director for the Joint Center for Technology Integration at U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Cantrell’s deputy, Douglas Ennis, was also charged as part of the conspiracy.

Subilia operated Fiber Material, a Maine-based composite material manufacturer that made a carbon product for the nose cones of missiles. He also operated companies — Lealagi Inc. and Sage Technologies LLC — that got subcontract work from the missile defense program in Huntsville.

Court records said Ennis traveled to Reagan National Airport in April 2004 where he received a suitcase containing $75,000. He was paid in cash, checks and wire transfers during the six-year period, authorities say.

“The integrity of our government contracting system is threatened by those who would pay bribes under the table to influence government actions,” U.S. Attorney, Alice Martin said. “My office will aggressively prosecute those threats.

“We anticipate that this case will be transferred to the District of Maine for disposition.”