TRENTON, New Jersey — The former mayor of New Jersey's largest suburb has reported to federal prison to serve a 38-month sentence for political corruption.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirms that former Hamilton Township Mayor John Bencivengo (ben-sih-VEN'-goh) entered the federal prison camp in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Thursday.
Bencivengo was convicted in November of extortion, money laundering and bribery-related counts. He resigned as mayor the day after he was convicted. He told a judge at his sentencing in March he lived with "self-torture" every day over the crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Bencivengo accepted more than $7,000 in bribes from a health insurance broker between May and July 2011. In exchange, he promised to help the broker keep a contract with the township's school district.
