Former Erie City Council president Sonya Arrington will spend just more than a year in prison for her conviction on fraud charges.

U.S. District Judge David Cercone handed down a jail sentence of a year and a day for Arrington, 53, during a hearing Monday afternoon.

She will be placed on supervised release for two years once released from prison. No fine was imposed, but she must pay restitution. Arrington must also undergo a treatment program for gambling addiction.

Sentencing guidelines called for Arrington to spend 27-33 months in prison, but her attorney Leonard Ambrose requested a sentence of house arrest. Judge Cercone said a sentence of probation or house arrest would send the wrong message, and there was too much harm done by her conduct.

Judge Cercone also cited the case's impact on charitable giving, leaving people to wonder if their money is really being used as intended.

Arrington accepted responsibility for the wrongdoing when she addressed the courtroom during Monday's sentencing hearing. More than a half-dozen people, including community activists and family, spent just more than an hour speaking in support of her character and charitable efforts in the community.

Arrington entered a guilty plea to a count of wire fraud and a count of submitting false writing or document to the U.S. government as part of an agreement with prosecutors Oct. 6.

Arrington was indicted in 2018 on federal charges for stealing $70,000 from the non-profit she founded - Mothers Against Teen Violence (MATV). Federal warrants said Arrington admitted to taking the money. Much of it was allegedly used to cover gambling losses at Presque Isle Downs and Casino.

She was also charged with two counts of illegally receiving nearly $30,000 in Social Security disability payments.

She finished her term on Erie City Council despite the criminal charges and did not seek re-election.