Ex-New Orleans mayor convicted of corruption

The former mayor of New Orleans was convicted Wednesday of accepting bribes from private contractors who hoped to secure the city's rebuilding projects after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Federal prosecutors found Ray Nagin guilty on 20 counts including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and tax charges, according to the port city's local daily newspaper, The Times-Picayune. A sentencing hearing is set for June 11. Legal experts said Nagin could face a 20-year prison term, possibly more. The alleged corruption spanned his two terms as mayor from 2002 to 2010.Prosecutors asserted he accepted payments worth 500,000 U.S. dollars over a period starting before Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and continued during the recovery. The 57-year-old Democrat has denied the charges since he was first indicted in January 2013. His defense attorney on Wednesday told the media they would move on to the appeal process. Nagin became known to the U.S public in 2005 in the aftermath of Katrina, which broke New Orleans' levees, flooded the city and contributed to nearly 1,500 fatalities.