NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of mail fraud and making a false statement on a federal income tax return.
Duke, 52, returned from overseas to face the charges in a plea agreement that requires him to serve a 15-month sentence, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. Sentencing is scheduled March 19.
Duke understated his gross income on his 1998 federal income tax return, stating his income was $18,831 when in fact it was $65,034. He later engaged in a scheme to solicit money from his followers, claiming he was in poor financial shape.
"Misrepresentations included the threatened loss of Duke's home, the loss of his savings, and his claim of financial ruin which would be caused by a pending lawsuit against him," the federal charge stated. "In truth and in fact, the defendant voluntarily sold his home for a profit. Further, the defendant held numerous investment accounts which at times contained substantial sums of money despite his representations to the contrary."
Duke, a Grand Wizard of the Knights of the ku Klux Klan in the 1970s, admitted in an appearance before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon Wednesday that he actually used large portions of the money he solicited for casino gambling.
Duke returned to the United States recently to complete negotiations on the plea agreement after nearly three years on a lecture tour of Europe, promoting his National Organization for European American Rights.
Duke was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1988 and served one term. He later ran unsuccessful campaigns for offices ranging from U.S. president to governor of Louisiana and U.S. senator.
