Ex-sheriff, facing life for rapes, pleads guilty to bribery

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former five-term Louisiana sheriff has pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge less than a month after a state jury convicted him of sexually abusing boys. Federal prosecutors dropped 15 other charges when former St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain on Wednesday pleaded guilty to using his authority as sheriff to try to steer profits from a $1 million work-release contract to himself, his family and two of his top deputies. Strain had arranged to have subordinates illegally run the work-release program, hiding their involvement by having their adult children pretend to be in charge. Strain is already facing four mandatory life terms for aggravated rape.