Former NJ Deputy Mayor Ordered to Report to Prison

A former New Jersey deputy mayor's attempts to stay out of prison have ended.

In a ruling released on Thursday, a federal judge has ordered Leona Beldini to report to prison in April to begin serving a three-year sentence.

Beldini was Jersey City's deputy mayor in 2009 when she was arrested in New Jersey's largest-ever corruption sting. She was convicted in 2010 of accepting a bribe from an FBI informant in exchange for the promise of future real estate commissions. She was acquitted of more serious extortion charges.

Beldini, who is in her mid-70s, has exhausted her legal appeals and said in court papers that she suffers from serious medical issues that could jeopardize her life if she is incarcerated.

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