A federal judge in Florida has sentenced former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown to five years in prison, followed by three years of probation, for fraud and other charges related to a purported charity for poor students that she used as a personal slush fund.



The sentence was handed down in Jacksonville on Monday morning. The 71-year-old Brown will be allowed to turn herself in no earlier than Jan. 8.



The Democrat served a Florida district that included Jacksonville during her historic, nearly 25-year career.



She was convicted by a federal jury in May on 18 of the 22 charges against her, which included fraud, lying on her tax returns and on her congressional disclosures.