The conviction of former Illinois Governor George Ryan on racketeering, conspiracy and fraud charges has been upheld and the will have to begin his six-year-plus prison sentence.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the corruption conviction of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, raising the possibility that the 73-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee will have to begin serving a 6 1/2-year prison sentence.
Ryan, promoted for years for a Nobel because of his opposition to capital punishment, has been free on bond pending appeal since he was sentenced on September 6, 2006.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that Ryan and colleague Larry Warner received a fair trial, despite jury problems.
