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| David Duke Begins 15-Month Prison Term |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/24/2003 |
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Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke turned himself in to a federal prison April 15 to begin a 15-month sentence for mail and tax fraud. Duke, who was driven to the west Texas prison in a light brown Jeep, did not appear to acknowledge about eight admirers outside who waved signs that read 'Duke for President' and 'Free David Duke.' 'It's a nice day to meet the grand wizard,' said Sarah Peterson, 17, of Big Spring. Duke, a former Louisiana state representative who ran for governor and the U.S. Senate about a decade ago, did not speak with reporters at the prison but said in a telephone interview a day earlier that he was ready to meet the terms of a plea agreement finalized in December. 'I have this agreement with the federal government, and I'm fulfilling it,' Duke said from his Mandeville, La., home. 'My feelings are you've got to do what you've got to do.' Duke pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a gross income of $18,831 in 1998, rather than the actual $65,034, and to bilking supporters. The mail fraud charge grew out of what prosecutors described as a scheme between 1993 and 1999 to swindle thousands of followers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through a direct mail campaign. Without the agreement, Duke could have faced a mail fraud charge for each piece of mail in the campaign, said his attorney, James McPherson. After his sentencing last month, Duke denied swindling his supporters. Prosecutors said Duke told supporters that he was in danger of losing his home and savings, but said he sold his home for a profit, held many investment accounts and gambled away much of his take at casinos in Mississippi, Las Vegas and the Bahamas. Duke said he intends to be a model prisoner at the low-security Big Spring prison. 'I'm completely willing to follow every rule, and I want to,' he said. 'I have problems with the federal government but I don't have a problem with federal employees.' Duke will have two years of supervised release after he gets out of prison. His criminal record will prevent him from seeking office in Louisiana for 15 years. |
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