He faced a maximum sentance of 35 years. That is the legal amount allowed for crimes of that nature. It isn't a nuke it is the law, they weren't making an example out of him. It wasn't political. It was a person breaking the law and the law being enforced which carried the potential of 35 years and /or fines. If he was such a smart person he should have known the risks and know what could possibly happen.
For people defending him you are doing him a disservice by implying he was ignorant of the Legal System, ignorant of the risk, and ignorant in general to know that not every might agree with his actions. After all this wasn't his first run in with stealing documents and legal matters. The FBI investigated him but declined to press charges for the first event.
I guess he got cocky and thought he was above the law. But as the song goes he fought the law and the law won.