Former Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown's longtime chief of staff has begun a four-year federal prison sentence in Maryland.
Elias "Ronnie" Simmons, 52, arrived Monday as scheduled at a medium-security federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland.
Once a powerful Democrat, Brown was found guilty last year of taking money from a charity that purported to award scholarships to poor students.
Testimony from Simmons and the charity's president, Carla Wiley, led to a conviction. Both pleaded guilty after their federal indictments for misusing the charity's funds.
Brown, 71, received a five-year prison sentence.
Wiley received a one-year, nine-month sentence followed by three years of probation. Both women have been ordered to report for prison Jan. 29.