RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A former South Dakota state’s attorney convicted of tax evasion has been sentenced to a year of prison time that will only be served on weekends due to the fact that he owes the government a lot of money and has a child who has special needs.

Ken Orrock, 48, was sentenced Wednesday in Rapid City for evading business taxes. He pleaded guilty in February to willful failure to collect and pay over tax from 2011 to 2015 as owner of Black Hills Patrol security agency, the Rapid City Journal reported .

Earlier this summer, after Orrock had already pleaded guilty, the IRS discovered he hadn’t paid most of his business taxes for 2016 and 2017. He was detained at the Pennington County Jail for nearly a dozen days because the evasion was a violation of the conditions of his pre-sentence release.

“He was effectively engaged in a criminal livelihood since 2011, stealing from the government and, by extension, law-abiding citizens, to support his lifestyle,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson.

Defense attorney Stanton Anker said that in order to pay restitution of $280,000, Orrock needs to keep his business going and that nobody knows Black Hills Patrol better than he does. Orrock surrendered his license to practice law in South Dakota after being convicted.

Orrock’s wife, Julia Orrock, testified that their son with special needs responds best to his father, who helps take care of him during her hours as a hospital nurse.

“(Ken) is able to get him to fight and try a little harder,” she said. “I truly do not know if I can keep this job if he is incarcerated.”

Ken Orrock was sentenced to 12 months in prison to be served from Friday evenings to Sunday evenings beginning Sept. 8. The sentence would take more than three years to complete. He’s been excused for the weekends of Easter and Christmas each year.

The federal judge said the uncommon sentence was influenced by Orrock’s responsibility to pay the government a large sum and the unique parenting needs of his son.

Anker said he thought the sentence was “just.” Albertson said he respected the judge’s ruling.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal, https://www.rapidcityjournal.com

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