Ex-Klan chief jailed over fraud

Ex-Klan chief jailed over fraud

Duke once held a seat for Louisiana in the House of Representatives

A former leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan group in the United States has turned himself in to a federal prison to begin serving a 15-month sentence for mail and tax fraud.

David Duke - who once held a seat for Louisiana in the House of Representatives - pleaded guilty to the charges in December and was sentenced to 15 months in prison in March.

Under the terms of his sentence, he was due to report to prison by 15 April.

Duke was convicted of defrauding his supporters of thousands of dollars. They sent him money after he said he had financial problems.

Prosecutors say most of the money was spent on gambling in casinos.

The court in New Orleans also fined Duke $10,000 and ordered that he seek treatment for an addiction to gambling.

Duke said he intends to be a model prisoner at the low-security Big Spring prison in western Texas.

"I'm completely willing to follow every rule, and I want to," he said. "I have problems with the federal government, but I don't have a problem with federal employees."

'White rights'

A former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Duke had returned to the US last year after promoting his National Organization for European American Rights during a three-year tour of Europe.

Duke hit the Louisiana political scene in 1988, winning a seat as a Republican in the Louisiana House of Representatives after running on a "white rights" ticket.

He also stood unsuccessfully for the Senate and the Louisiana governorship.