Traficant to enter halfway house

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Convicted former Ohio Congressman James Traficant soon will be coming back to his home town to serve the remainder of his eight-year sentence, officials say.

Traficant, 67, has been serving his sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. -- why has not been made public. On March 9, however, the former Youngstown, Ohio, lawmaker will be coming home with a transfer to the Community Corrections Association, a halfway facility, the Youngstown Vindicator reported Tuesday.

CCA has a 28-bed area for federal inmates, who generally live two to three to a room, Richard Billak, CCA chief executive officer, told the newspaper. An adjoining common room, or lounge, has two telephones and a TV that isn't allowed to be turned on until after dinner.

Traficant will be encouraged to get a job while at the halfway house, tuning over his paycheck to the facility, which keeps 25 percent of residents' pay for room and board.

In April 2002, a Cleveland jury found the nine-term Democrat guilty on all 10 counts he faced -- including racketeering, bribery, obstruction of justice and tax evasion, the Vindicator said.