Black in Franklin Jail Awaiting Move to Federal Prison
Former House Speaker Jim Black was moved sometime overnight from the Wake County Jail to the Franklin County Jail, authorities said.
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Federal authorities told WRAL that Black will spend time at the Franklin County Jail before leaving to serve his sentence at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Lewisburg, Pa.
The 72-year-old Mecklenburg County Democrat was sentenced July 11 to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge of accepting an illegal gratuity.
On Tuesday, he was sentenced to eight to 10 months in prison and was fined $1 million on a state obstruction of justice charge. Black's state sentence will run at the same time as his federal sentence.
Black was given until December to pay off the fine. If he does, Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens said he would sentence Black to 19 to 23 months in prison on a state bribery charge, with the sentence running concurrently with his federal sentence.
If Black doesn't meet the deadline for paying the fine, Stephens said he would hold a hearing and could sentence Black to more time in prison.
Black held the top position in the state House for a record eight years before resigning in February and pleading guilty to both state and federal charges.
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