Jack Johnson Headed to Prison Saturday

Time has run out for former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson to remain a free man.

Johnson is scheduled to begin his 87-month sentence in federal prison today, Feb. 18, in Butner, NC, Jeffrey Harding, one of Johnson’s attorneys told The Washington Post.

Johnson and his wife, Leslie, were both indicted on federal charges in November 2010. Johnson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, extortion and witness evidence tampering after admitting he accepted cash, airfare and other gifts in exchange for changing laws and results of inspections in May 2011 and his wife pleaded guilty to detroying evidence, after she infamously stuffed $79,000 in her underwear and tried flushing a $100,000 check down the toliet. She later resigned from her county council seat.

Johnson will spend his days on a regimented schedule, according to The Post—waking up early, eating meals in the mess hall and working a job in the prison's kitchen or laundry room for only 40 cents a day.

But attorneys told The Post that Johnson will be housed in one of the nicer prisons:

“It is one of the better camps in the system,” said Herb Hoelter, a Baltimore attorney who advises people who are about to head to prison to The Post. “It has always been one of the crown jewels of the system.” Said Alan Ellis, a San Francisco attorney with many clients in the system: “The bottom line is he hit the inmate lottery.”

His new home is also where Bernie Madoff, Jonathan Pollard and Carmine Persico serve time, according to The Washingon Post. 

Although he will be able to speak to some people over the phone or over email, communication between Johnson and his wife will remain minimal, the Post reported.

Leslie Johnson is scheduled to begin her 12-month sentence at Alderson, the West Virginia prison that housed Martha Stewart, on March 9.

To see the full story, read The Washington Post.