Conrad Black Must Go Back to Prison by Sept. 6, Court Says

Conrad M. Black, the former Hollinger International Inc. chairman and chief executive officer sentenced to serve an additional year in prison, must report by Sept. 6, a federal court in Chicago said.

Black's original 6 1/2-year term was reduced to 3 1/2 years last month by U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve after the former newspaper publisher successfully appealed two of three mail fraud counts of which he was convicted in 2007.

St. Eve, in an order dated July 5 and posted on the court's electronic docket today, recommended that Black, 66, be returned to the low-security prison at Coleman, Florida, where he spent 29 months before being granted bail last year.

Hollinger International was once the world's third-biggest publisher of English-language newspapers. Its publications included the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph, Canada's National Post and the Jerusalem Post.

Black was originally found guilty for his role in the theft of $6.1 million from the Chicago-based company now known as Sun- Times Media Group Inc. Convictions overturned on appeal reduced the total value of the theft to $600,000.

Each court reviewing the case upheld the jury's finding that Black obstructed justice when he removed boxes from his Toronto office that prosecutors said contained documents sought by the U.S. government.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has final say on where Black will serve the remainder of his punishment.

The case is U.S. v. Black, 05-cr-00727, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).