Former Penn. Speaker of the House begins prison sentence

Former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House Bill DeWeese (D) began a prison sentence of up to five years Monday, after he was convicted for conspiracy and theft, reports WPMT:

One of the most influential men in Pennsylvania politics, Bill DeWeese, is heading to prison today to begin his sentence. The former House Speaker is set to serve up to five years in prison after being convicted in his public corruption case.

Bill DeWeese is expected to report to the Dauphin County prison this afternoon before being transferred to the state prison system. He is scheduled to serve two and a half to five years in prison after a judge Friday denied his petition to delay his sentence until his appeals process is finished.

The 62-year-old DeWeese was convicted by a Dauphin County jury of conspiracy, conflict of interest and three counts of theft for using public resources for political purposes. Deweese is appealing his decision. Friday, a judge turned down DeWeese's petition asking to stay out of prison until the appeals process is finished. That process is expected to take several months to unfold.