Former Chicago Ald. Edward M. Burke famously spent decades at the pinnacle of the city’s political power structure, but on Monday he’ll officially earn a new, rather inglorious title.
Federal inmate No. 53698-424.
Burke, 80, must check himself into the low security federal prison camp at Terre Haute, Indiana, by 2 p.m. to begin serving his two-year sentence on a corruption case that sent shockwaves through the political establishment and tanked Burke’s record run as the city’s longest-serving alderman.
The camp, which houses about 260 male inmates, is situated 180 miles due south of Chicago. While no official release date has been set, under federal rules, Burke must serve 85 percent of the 24-month term, which means with good behavior he’d be out sometime in May 2026, when he would be 82.
Once released, Burke will serve a year on court-ordered supervision. He must also pay $65,000 in restitution to the owners of the Burger King franchise he was convicted of shaking down, as well as a $2 million fine imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall.