Marion Jones begins federal prison term

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Former Olympian Marion Jones leaves the courthouse after speaking to the press about her sentence for steroids use on January 11, 2008 in White Plains, NY. The five-medal winner was sentenced to six months detention plus community service. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff)
1 of 3 | Former Olympian Marion Jones leaves the courthouse after speaking to the press about her sentence for steroids use on January 11, 2008 in White Plains, NY. The five-medal winner was sentenced to six months detention plus community service. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff) | License Photo

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 7 (UPI) -- Former Olympian Marion Jones Friday began serving a six-month federal prison term for lying to investigators about her use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, confirmed that Jones turned herself in before noon Friday at Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said.

Jones, 32, now living in Austin, pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal investigators in 2003 during a larger sports doping investigation and a check-fraud case.

Also, she admitted to using a banned substance from September 2000 to July 2001 -- during the Sydney Olympic Games, where the she won five medals (three gold).

On Jan. 8, 2008, in White Plains, N.Y., U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered her to serve a six-month sentence with two years supervised probation and 400 hours of community service.

"I respect the judge's orders and I truly hope that people will learn from my mistakes," a tearful and disgraced Jones said.

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