Ex-U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds guilty on four misdemeanor tax counts

Mel Reynolds, the former rising-star congressman disgraced amid a series of scandals in the 1990s, was found guilty Thursday of four misdemeanor tax counts.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman ruled on Reynolds' fate after a four-day bench trial in which Reynolds defended himself against four misdemeanor counts alleging he failed to file tax returns between 2009 and 2012 as he collected a combined $433,000. He could face up to four years in prison.

Reynolds had no comment after the verdict, other than to say he disagreed with it.

The trial ended Thursday afternoon when Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas used a pile of bank records to argue Reynolds and his family had used much of the money to pay school tuition for his children and shop at Best Buy, Pea Pod, The North Face, Foot Locker, Victoria's Secret, Eddie Bauer and elsewhere. Jonas also highlighted a purchase for "Hip Hop Abs."

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