Conrad Black released from prison

MIAMI, May 4 (UPI) -- Fallen media mogul Conrad Black, convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice, was released Friday from a Florida prison.

U.S. Immigration and Customs spokesman Nestor Yglesias said Black was released to the custody of immigration officials because an immigration detainer had been issued for him, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.

The newspaper said Black may have been taken to a detention center and booked for deportation. If he is deported, Black would be banned from returning to the United States for 10 years.

Black was convicted on fraud and obstruction-of-justice charges related to his tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of Hollinger International Inc., which owns a number of newspapers in Britain, Canada, Israel and the United States. Black and others were accused of bilking investors of about $60 million.

In 2001, the Montreal-born Black changed his Canadian citizenship to British to secure a peerage in the House of Lords. However, he maintained a mansion in Toronto, where his wife lives, on a temporary resident permit.

Canadian officials said they would allow Black back in the country when he is released from prison and would grant him a one-year temporary resident permit.

Black was resentenced in June to 42 months in prison after some of his convictions were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. He had already served 29 months under his original sentence of 78 months.