India, Oct. 7 -- A former Buddhist monk who founded a widely praised hospice for people living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand was convicted of embezzlement and money laundering on Wednesday and sentenced to the legal maximum of 50 years in prison.

Alongkot Poonmook, formerly known as Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat, and his associate Seksan Sapsubbsakul, who worked as a fundraiser for the project, were found guilty on multiple counts by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases.

Alongkot was sentenced to a cumulative 742 years in prison, while Seksan received a cumulative sentence of more than 386 years. Both sentences were automatically reduced to the statutory maximum of 50 years.

The court also ordered the two men to r...