Marion Jones begins federal prison term

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Former Olympian Marion Jones Friday began serving a six-month federal prison term for lying to investigators about her use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, confirmed that Jones turned herself in before noon Friday at Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said.

Jones, 32, now living in Austin, pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal investigators in 2003 during a larger sports doping investigation and a check-fraud case.

Also, she admitted to using a banned substance from September 2000 to July 2001 -- during the Sydney Olympic Games, where the she won five medals (three gold).

On Jan. 8, 2008, in White Plains, N.Y., U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered her to serve a six-month sentence with two years supervised probation and 400 hours of community service.

"I respect the judge's orders and I truly hope that people will learn from my mistakes," a tearful and disgraced Jones said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.