Ex-sheriff bribery gets 10 years; already has life for rapes

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former Louisiana sheriff has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on a federal bribery conviction. The sentence was imposed Wednesday on former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain and is to be served concurrently with his four life sentences on recent state convictions for raping boys. Strain pleaded guilty in federal court last year to using his authority as sheriff to steer profits from a $1 million work-release contract to himself and others. The plea came weeks after a state jury convicted him on eight charges. Four were of aggravated rape against children under age 13, a crime carrying an automatic life sentence.