Then-state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, listens to debate on the Senate floor at the Legislative Building in Carson City on May 22, 2013.
LAS VEGAS — A former top Democratic lawmaker in Nevada has been sentenced to 27 months in prison and fined almost $250,000 for misusing campaign funds.
Ex-Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson acknowledged using campaign money to open a Las Vegas nightclub and fund what prosecutors called a lavish personal lifestyle.
He told U.S. District Judge James Mahan in Las Vegas that he was embarrassed and called his fall from grace regrettable and unfortunate.
Atkinson remains free but must surrender to federal prison authorities on Oct. 18.
He resigned from the Legislature in March and pleaded guilty less than a week later to federal wire fraud.
The 50-year-old Atkinson has served 10 years in the Assembly and seven years in the Senate.
He became the first black, openly gay member of the Legislature in 2013.
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