Ex-Democrat congressman sentenced to 30 months in prison for election fraud

Former Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Michael "Ozzie" Myers has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to election fraud.

Myers, 79, pleaded guilty in June to several election fraud charges, including "orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections," the Justice Department said Tuesday in announcing his sentence.

Myers would charge the candidates "consulting fees," which he would in turn use as bribes to help his clients win the election.

He worked with at least two election judges in the scandal, court documents show.

Federal District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond also ordered Myers to pay $100,000 in fines, $10,000 of which is due immediately, and submit to three years of supervised probation after serving his term in prison.

Myers, who served in the House from 1976 to 1980, was expelled from his position after being involved in the Abscam bribery scandal where FBI agents posed as Arab sheiks. He served time in prison after being convicted of bribery and conspiracy.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire said Myers is "now a federal felon twice over, heading back behind bars, with time to consider the great consequence of free and fair elections."