Former Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. was sentenced to one year in county jail and three years probation for charges the include public misuse of funds, fueled by his self-acknowledged gambling habit.
The 51-year-old is the first county supervisor in Santa Clara County to face felony charges in more than a quarter century.
He pleaded guilty to five felony and seven misdemeanor charges related to inaccuracies in government finance and campaign reports, whose campaign contributions he siphoned off into a secret slush fund.
And he resigned in March, understanding that he'd never hold political office again.
He has to face a separate sentencing hearing following an impersonation charge, which stemmed from a phony mailer prosecutors say Shirakawa fabricated to discredit a San Jose City Council candidate in 2010.
The candidate, Magdalena Carrasco, was running against Xavier Campos, Shirakawa's former aide, to represent San Jose's District 5. Campos was elected and still holds the seat.
The indictment alleges that Shirakawa impersonated a campaign committee titled "Neighbors for Magdalena Carrasco for Council 2010," prosecutors said.
