Former governor reports to prison
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan arrived at a rural federal prison Wednesday to begin serving a 61/2-year sentence for racketeering and fraud.
The 73-year-old Republican entered the federal correctional center about noon, Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Felicia Ponce said. He entered through a back gate, avoiding a throng of media awaiting his arrival at the main entrance.
(AP)
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Ryan leaves for prison
The pharmacist-turned-governor, who gained international acclaim for his opposition to the death penalty, has said he will fight to clear his name even while sitting in prison.
At dawn today, Ryan left his home for his journey to federal prison in Oxford, Wis., on corruption charges.
Appearing relaxed, hours after declaring his innocence, Ryan, 73, left his Kankakee home at around 5:50 a.m. and sat in the front seat of his Ford van full of family members including son George Ryan Jr. who drove the vehicle.
Ryan Jr. and a female relative cleaned out the van about an hour before they left the two-story dark brick home and loaded it with a blue cooler.
Ryan waved to reporters-- even at one point peered up to the sky to see a whirring news helicopter above-- but remained silent.
About an hour earlier, George Ryan Jr. said his father would not be making any more statements because his statement last night, "said a lot."
When asked how he and the Ryan family were dealing with the former governor going to prison he shot back, "how would you deal with it?"
Ryan makes the journey to prison after last night's press conference in which he was defiant in front of his dark-brick home, declaring his innocence and vowing to fight this conviction.
"I have said since the beginning of this 10-year ordeal that I'm innocent and I intend to prove it," Ryan said from the front of his home Tuesday night.
Shortly after Ryan's departure from his home this morning, the former governor stopped with his family at the Original Pancake House, 22. E. Bellevue Pl., in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood.
''I don't think he was in the mood to be asked why he didn't have pancakes,'' Craig Arrigoni, the restaurant's general manager told the Associated Press.
Ryan spent all day yesterday and late last night huddled with family members.
Reporters have been camped out at Ryan's home for more than a day and this morning was no different. Even a media truck from the Weather Channel -- which apparently shares resources with WGN-TV Chicago -- showed up.
Ryan has until 5 p.m. today to report to the prison in Wisconsin.
Contributing: AP
