Nathan Cooper transferred to halfway house

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A former Missouri lawmaker convicted in an immigration fraud scheme has been transferred to a halfway house.

Thirty-five-year-old Nathan Cooper was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison about a year ago, forcing him to resign from the state House and surrender his law license. Cooper pleaded guilty to visa fraud and making a false statement to the Department of Labor.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Cooper transferred Dec. 1 to a federal community corrections center based in St. Louis. Those in halfway houses are monitored as they complete sentences, but they also can sign out and leave the facility.

Cooper, a Republican from Cape Girardeau, also was fined $6,000 and will be on two years of supervised release. His sentence is scheduled to expire Feb. 28.