Wilkerson Sentenced To 3 1/2 Years Behind Bars
BOSTON (AP) - A former Massachusetts state senator convicted of corruption after being videotaped stuffing bribe money into her bra has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
Dianne Wilkerson was sentenced on Thursday after taking responsibility for her actions and asking U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock for mercy.
Wilkerson, the first black woman elected to the Massachusetts Senate, pleaded guilty in June to eight counts of attempted extortion for taking $23,500 in bribes from undercover agents and a Boston businessman who was cooperating with the FBI.
WBZ Radio's Lana Jones reports
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The Boston Democrat offered no explanation for her actions but said she didn't enjoy money.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports from South Boston.
Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Wilkerson to four years in prison. Her lawyer did not make a recommendation.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
