Former Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, the first congressman to be ensnared in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said Ney would serve an additional two years on probation and pay a $6,000 fine.  She also mandated Ney participate in a prison alcohol rehabilitation program. 

"Both your constituents and the public trusted you to represent them honestly," Judge Huvelle said of the sentence, which was longer than the 29 months requested by prosecutors in the case. 

Just yesterday, Ney's attorneys delivered 95 pages of letters from family, friends and constituents who asked that the court consider leniency when sentencing the former Ohio congressman who had pled guilty last year to accepting lavish gifts from lobbyists, including Abramoff, in exchange for taking official action at Abramoff's request.

A staffer of former Congressman Bob Ney's, Matthew Parker, said Ney was a "functioning alcoholic who could rarely make it through the day without drinking and would often begin drinking beers as early as 7:30 a.m."

Many of the letters cited Ney's career accomplishments, but a few offered an inside look from those close to him as to why they believe Ney had made the poor decisions that he did.

"I firmly believe that Bob's addiction to alcohol drove him to make some bad decisions," wrote Parker. "He drank too much on a regular basis, and it began to interfere with his judgment in his personal life and as a Member of Congress."

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Parker went on to say that since his resignation, Ney has become a "changed man" and has gone through extensive counseling and rehabilitation.

In another letter of support, Ellen Ratner, bureau chief for Washington, D.C.'s "The Hill" newspaper, wrote that she was aware of Ney's drinking problem as far back as the year 2000 but only confronted him about her concerns last February.

"Although he takes full responsibility," Ratner wrote, "I believe that alcohol was the driving force behind those poor judgments."

Another friend of Ney's, Wesley Leggett, wrote, "The disease of alcoholism took this man from being a very successful state senator and United States Congressman to now facing many legal and financial consequences. His drinking severely clouded his judgment, as well as his ability to make sound, clear decisions."

Among his poor decisions, Ney has admitted to accepting luxurious trips from Abramoff, including a golf trip to Scotland, valued at over $160,000, and a gambling trip to New Orleans, according to the his plea agreement.

In exchange for these trips and other gifts, which included meals, concert tickets and tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, Ney had agreed to take numerous official actions on behalf of Abramoff.

Ney will serve his 30-month sentence in a federal prison in Morganstown, W.Va.

Statement from Bob Ney:

Your Honor,

I stand before you today with deep regret. Throughout my 26 years of public service, I was able to help constituents and truly make a difference in people's lives. Because of my actions, I'm no longer able to serve the public in that manner, and for that I take complete responsibility.

I also would like to apologize to my family, friends, and former constituents. I especially regret the pain this ordeal has caused my family. I love them each very much, and I have caused tremendous heartache for them. I hope and pray that with time and love, our family can recover from the damage I have done.

Moving forward, I will continue to take full responsibility for my actions and to battle the demons of addiction. Although my life and career have changed forever, I hope to continue my work helping and serving my community very soon.