NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury has convicted former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on charges that he accepted bribes, free trips and other gratuities from contractors in exchange for helping them secure millions of dollars in city work while he was in office.

The jury on Wednesday convicted Nagin of 20 of 21 counts against him.

Nagin was indicted in January 2013 on charges he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and truckloads of free granite for his family business in exchange for promoting the interests of a local businessman.

He also was charged with accepting thousands of dollars in payoffs from another businessman for his help in securing city contracts.

Before the verdict was read, Nagin said outside the courtroom that he's "been at peace with this for a long time. I'm good."
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(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)