(CNN) -- A former top elected official for Prince George's County, Maryland, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison and fined $100,000 Tuesday after pleading guilty to federal extortion and evidence-tampering charges.
Jack Johnson, who served eight years as county executive, was arrested a year ago and indicted in February on a series of charges including extortion, bribery and evidence tampering.
"Jack Johnson corruptly used his public office to engage in fraudulent actions including steering millions of dollars in federal and local funds to favored developers," the FBI said in a statement after the sentencing.
FBI agents monitored a phone calls in which Johnson and his wife, Leslie, discussed quickly getting rid of evidence, the agency said.
"During one of those calls, as federal agents were knocking on the door of Johnsons' home to execute a search warrant, Jack told Leslie to destroy the $100,000 check provided to him by Baig (a real estate developer) and to hide cash that he had hidden in their home," the FBI said. "Specifically, Jack Johnson told Leslie to flush the check down the toilet and hide the cash in her underwear."
Federal agents found $79,600 in cash hidden his wife's underwear, the FBI said.
"Jack Johnson could have been a role model for integrity, but he chose to be a poster child for greed," U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said. "The facts of this case read like a dime novel because the defendant acted as if corruption was the normal way of doing business."
Johnson must serve three years on supervised release after an 87-month prison term, a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said.
He must pay $30,000 by February and the remainder of his fine in $2,000 monthly installments starting after his release from prison, the clerk said.
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