Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown begins 5-year federal sentence

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown has begun serving a five-year federal sentence for her part in a fraud scheme that helped end her long career.

The Florida Times-Union reports that Brown surrendered Monday at a minimum-security camp at the Coleman Federal Correction Complex in central Florida.

The 71-year-old Democrat was sentenced for fraud as well as lying on tax returns and other documents about income from a purported charity for poor students that she used as a personal slush fund.

Brown is appealing her conviction, saying it was wrong for the trial judge to dismiss a juror who claimed the "Holy Spirit" told him she's innocent.