U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle last week ordered convicted former Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) to report to prison on March 1.

Huvelle mandated that Ney, who was sentenced on Jan. 19 to 30 months in prison in connection to the scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, show up by 2 p.m. at the Federal Correctional Institute in Morgantown, W.Va. He will be allowed to arrive at the prison without escort and currently is not in government custody.

Ney’s attorneys had requested that he serve his sentence at the minimum-security prison camp at Morgantown because it has a drug abuse treatment program. They argued that Ney’s addiction to alcohol had influenced his criminal behavior. Ney may be eligible for a reduced sentence if he completes the drug abuse program.

The Morgantown facility is in an idyllic, wooded area of West Virginia, and the prison has no fencing and little supervision. The former Congressman will join ex-“Survivor” star Richard Hatch, who failed to pay taxes on his $1 million winnings, as an inmate.

Ney pleaded guilty in October to making false statements and conspiracy in connection to receiving thousands of dollars in gifts, meals and sports tickets from Abramoff and his associates.

— Rachel Van Dongen