Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for bribery and fraud charges.

White, 46, was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation and will have to pay $7,500 in restitution.

The sentencing ends a chapter for the once powerful and popular commissioner, whose tenure in office was plagued with a string of accusations, charges and violations.

Before the judge gave his ruling, White spoke about the charges for the first time.

"I accept full responsibility for all of my actions," he said.

White pushy with cameraman after sentence handed down

As he left the Tampa federal courthouse, White pushed a Tampa Bay Times cameraman out of his way as he got into the passenger side of a car.

An unidentified cameraman in a pink shirt was standing next to the car White was approaching to leave the courthouse. White put both hands on the cameraman and pushed him toward the rear of the vehicle.

White faced up to 4 years, 3 months in prison

White was convicted in federal court in November of accepting bribes to influence the county transportation agency that he chaired. He faced 10 counts, including bribery, mail and wire fraud, conspiracy and lying to an FBI agent.

White was found guilty on 7 counts:

  • Conspiracy to commit bribery
  • 2 counts of bribery
  • Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud
  • 2 counts of wire fraud
  • False statements to a government official

The charges are related to White's tenure as chairman of the county's Public Transportation Commission. White chaired the commission from 2006 to 2010. The commission oversees permits for "for hire" vehicles like taxi-cabs, limos, vans and tow trucks.

Investigators said that White used his influence during that time to collect $10,000 in bribes.

A friend who expected White to get more time called it a miracle.

"It was a miracle, you know," Jarvis el-Amin said. "I think he never had constituent complaints. Good outweighs bad, and the judge was fair."

White will be allowed to return home. The judge did not set a time for White to turn himself in to begin serving his prison sentence.  He did mention that White could possibly serve his sentence in Miami or Pensacola.

He was also convicted of sexual discrimination in 2009, after a jury found he fired a former aide after she refused his sexual advances.