The former mayor of New Orleans sentenced in July to ten years in prison for corruption started his jail term Monday.
Ray Nagin reported to FCI Texarkana, a low security federal correctional facility in Texas with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.
Nagin has said he’ll appeal his conviction for 20 criminal counts of bribery, conspiracy, false tax returns, and money laundering related to city contracts he awarded as mayor from 2002 to 2010.
A court appointed lawyer will handle his appeal.
Nagin said in court filings he’s now destitute, surviving on a small income from his wife’s job, handouts from relatives, and food stamps, according to the Times Picayune.
He became famous during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and its aftermath, appearing often on CNN and other networks to plead for help from the federal government.
Nagin, 58, will have to serve about eight and a half years before he’s eligible for release.
At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan told Nagin he was guilty of “rampant, inexcusable corruption” for a $500,000 bribery scheme.
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Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
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