Black surrenders to federal authorities

RALEIGH (AP) -- Former House Speaker Jim Black has surrendered to federal authorities to begin serving his five-year federal prison term in Pennsylvania.

Black was scheduled to surrender at 2 p.m. He appeared at 1:48 at the federal courthouse near downtown Raleigh.

The 72-year-old Mecklenburg County Democrat pleaded guilty in February to one federal charge related to illegally taking thousands of dollars in cash from chiropractors while pushing their agenda at the Legislature.

Black has been assigned to a prison camp in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, about 170 miles west of Philadelphia and more than 500 miles from Black's Charlotte home.

Black had asked to start his sentence August sixth, telling the judge he needed more time to report to the Pennsylvania prison and to face sentencing on the state charges.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)