Former Arkansas state senator sentenced to 50 months in bribery scheme

April 26 (UPI) -- A former Arkansas state senator was sentenced to 50 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Jeremy Hutchinson, nephew of former Arkansas Gov. and current GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson, received the sentence Tuesday from a Missouri federal judge. His sentence will be served consecutively to the 46-month sentence he received in Arkansas in February.

Bontiea Goss, the CEO of Preferred Family Healthcare, hired Hutchinson to be the outside counsel for the Missouri-based charity. Between 2014 and 2017, Hutchinson received more than $350,000 from Preferred Family Healthcare, while drafting and voting on legislation.

"Hutchinson stole over $10,000 in state campaign funds for his own personal use and also falsified his 2011 tax returns, including failing to report $20,000-per-month-payments he received from one law firm and other sources of income he knowingly and intentionally concealed from his taxes, the Justice Department said in February.

Last year, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution.

Several executives of the healthcare company already have pleaded guilty to participating in the scheme, including Goss and her husband. Two other Arkansas state politicians also have pleaded guilty.

In addition to the eight years in prison, Hutchinson also must pay a fine of $468,125.