NEW ORLEANS – A former Louisiana congressman convicted of taking bribes has reported to a federal prison in Texas to begin serving a 13-year sentence.
A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons says former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson reported Friday to a low-security prison in Beaumont.
A jury in Virginia convicted him of bribery, racketeering and other charges in 2009. Jefferson was allowed to remain free pending the outcome of his appeal in a case that included the discovery of thousands of dollars in his freezer.
In March, an appeals court upheld all but one of the 11 counts on which Jefferson was convicted.
Jefferson's lawyer has said an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is under consideration.
The 65-year-old Democrat represented parts of New Orleans for almost 20 years.
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