Cade Cothren, a former House staffer and chief of staff to ex-Speaker Glen Casada, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, fined $25,000, and ordered to serve one year of probation for his role in a kickback scheme involving Tennessee’s constituent mailer program.

Convicted alongside Casada after a four-week jury trial, Cothren was found guilty of orchestrating a secret company, Phoenix Solutions, which funneled funds from the state’s $3,000-per-lawmaker mailer program, with Casada and former Rep. Robin Smith directing business to the company under the alias “Matthew Phoenix.” The scheme involved intricate money laundering to conceal their actions, though the judge excluded $158,000 earned from House Republican Caucus and campaign work from the sentencing.

Cothren’s attorneys plan to appeal, while Casada’s sentencing was delayed to September 23 due to the lengthy proceedings. The case was compounded by Cothren’s prior resignation over a racist and sexist texting scandal, which also led to Casada’s exit from the House speakership after a no-confidence vote fueled by the scandal and his heavy-handed leadership tactics.