Former Illinois lawmaker sentenced to five months for bribery

[April 24, 2015]  By Mary Wisniewski
 
 CHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a former Illinois state representative to five months in prison for taking a $7,000 bribe to support a state grant for a day-care center, prosecutors said.

Derrick Smith, a Chicago Democrat, had been convicted of bribery and attempted extortion in June 2014. He was charged following an FBI undercover investigation that caught him talking about the payoff on tape.

Smith was expelled by the Illinois House in 2012 after he was charged with taking the bribe. He won his seat back the same year but then lost the Democratic primary in March 2014.

Smith, who must surrender on July 31, also must serve 360 hours of community service, according to U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman Kim Nerheim.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Bill Trott)

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