Former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson Surrenders To Serve 13-Year Sentence

Former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson surrendered to a federal penitentiary Friday to begin serving a 13-year sentence, according to reports.

Jefferson, 65, was convicted and sentenced in 2009 for taking approximately $500,000 in bribes and seeking millions in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa, according to Fox News.

Jefferson, who was also caught with $90,000 in cash hidden in his freezer, was freed on bond and living in New Orleans while he appealed his conviction.

A federal appeals court in Richmond upheld all except one of the 11 counts Jefferson was convicted of. They included bribery, money laundering and racketeering, according to Fox.

He had until today to turn himself in.

WDSU reported that two vehicles arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution-Beaumont shortly after 11 a.m., one of which was driven by Jefferson's brother.

Authorities began investigating Jefferson in March 2005. He represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years.

The FBI set up a sting after a businesswoman known as Lori Mody told them she was cheated out of $3.5 million in dealing with Jefferson. Jurors saw a videotape of a wired Mody handing $100,000 cash in a suitcase to Jefferson outside a hotel.

Most of that money was found in Jefferson's freezer, Fox News reported, adding that prosecutors said Jefferson intended to use the money to pay his own bribe to the then-vice president of Nigeria for a multimillion-dollar telecommunications deal in that country.

The defense said that Jefferson was acting as a private business consultant when he brokered those deals.