A former state representative was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of felony bribery on Monday.
In March, Rep. W. Carlton Weddington stepped down from the legislature and surrendered to investigators when he was accused of making deals with undercover FBI agents who were posing as businessmen who wanted a law passed, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported.
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said that the second-term Democrat took bribes of checks, cash and all-expense paid trips to South Beach, Miami, and Napa Valley, Calif., in 2011. O'Brien said the trips were three or four days each.
Weddington served on the Columbus Board of Education until he was first elected to the Ohio House in 2008. He was the ranking Democratic member of the Local Government Committee and also sat on the House finance and criminal justice panels.
Weddington, who originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, took a plea deal, allowing him to serve three years in prison. He will be eligible for release in two years pending his behavior, Mallett reported.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for continuing coverage.
Previous Stories:
March 16, 2012: State Rep. Pleads Not Guilty To Bribery, Falsification Charges
March 13, 2012: Ohio Lawmaker Accused Of Bribery, Surrenders To Authorities
In March, Rep. W. Carlton Weddington stepped down from the legislature and surrendered to investigators when he was accused of making deals with undercover FBI agents who were posing as businessmen who wanted a law passed, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported.
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said that the second-term Democrat took bribes of checks, cash and all-expense paid trips to South Beach, Miami, and Napa Valley, Calif., in 2011. O'Brien said the trips were three or four days each.
Weddington served on the Columbus Board of Education until he was first elected to the Ohio House in 2008. He was the ranking Democratic member of the Local Government Committee and also sat on the House finance and criminal justice panels.
Weddington, who originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, took a plea deal, allowing him to serve three years in prison. He will be eligible for release in two years pending his behavior, Mallett reported.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for continuing coverage.
Previous Stories:
March 16, 2012: State Rep. Pleads Not Guilty To Bribery, Falsification Charges
March 13, 2012: Ohio Lawmaker Accused Of Bribery, Surrenders To Authorities
©2013 by 10TV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Comments