North State Journal: “David Lewis, the former chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee and author of Republican redistricting plans during the 2010s, had pleaded guilty to two counts nearly a year ago. He resigned from the General Assembly the same day the accusations and the plea agreement became public.
U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn sentenced Lewis to two years of supervised release, which is similar to probation, and a $1,000 fine, according to information provided by the U.S. attorney’s office in Charlotte.
Federal prosecutors recommended in May that he receive no prison time. Lewis’ attorneys had made a similar request, writing at the time that his wrongdoing was “an act of desperation rather than greed.”
According to the plea agreement, Lewis acknowledged taking $65,000 from his campaign coffers in 2018 and putting them in a bank account he opened using a fictitious entity whose title appeared similar to the state Republican Party. That money was then used by Lewis Farms and to pay the rent on his home.”