seems silly to send people to prison for this
I would argue that the kind of bribery at the heart of this case is considerably worse, as it fosters a mentality that everything is for sale at the right price.
There are several precedents that come to mind though, prostitution is one.
"Well, last time, the defendant was given 5 years. Therefore, a fair sentence is 5 years".
Tacking a 5 year sentence on to anything because "it doesn't matter" seems exceptionally short-sighted.