RALEIGH, N.C. AP – Samuel T. Currin – a former U.S. attorney, state judge and state Republican chairman – was sentenced to almost six years in federal prison on charges related to a tax fraud conspiracy, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Currin, 58, of Raleigh, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to launder $1.45 million through his law firm’s client trust account, in addition to lying on his taxes by failing to report an offshore debit card account, prosecutors said.