Aide to former Governor Mike Easley sentenced to one year in federal prison.

 Verne Strickland Blogmaster

Ruffin Poole could have faced five years in slammer on corruption charges. Guilty plea to income tax evasion accepted as trade-off.

TOM BREEN Associated Press

May 17, 2011 4:18 PM

RALEIGH — A former aide to ex-North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley must spend a year behind bars for failing to report a $30,000 profit on coastal property that was uncovered during a federal probe involving the two-term governor.

U.S. District Court Judge Terence Boyle sentenced 39-year-old Ruffin Poole on Tuesday to 12 months in prison, along with two years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine. He's scheduled to begin serving his sentence July 15, likely at a federal prison in South Carolina.

Poole had pleaded guilty in April 2010 to one income tax evasion count just before his trial on 57 corruption-related counts was set to begin. Federal prosecutors have said he could have faced up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised probation.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/-91199--.html