Cooper begins serving federal sentence

Southeast Missourian

Former state Rep. Nathan Cooper began his 15-month federal prison sentence for immigration fraud this week at the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Ill. The former lawmaker is confined to the minimum-security camp adjacent to the main prison in keeping with his request when sentenced in December. Under federal law, Cooper could receive up to 54 days off for good behavior for every year he is in prison, meaning he could be released in as little as 13 months. U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton, when she sentenced Cooper on Dec. 10, also ordered him to serve two years of supervised release following his prison sentence.