Former Illinois Governor and Secretary of State George Ryan was convicted in April of 2006 for charges of racketeering conspiracy, fraud and other offenses for taking payoffs from political insiders in exchange for state business while he was Illinois secretary of state.

Ryan also used state money to buy his friend Larry Warner and several other people Caribbean vacations and golf bags. He also used the money for his own campaign.

George Ryan was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in jail.

During his run as the Governor of Illinois, Ryan let out four death row inmates, days before he left office. Those four inmates were given life in prison instead of being put to death.

Ryan's decision for this move came in 2000 when 13 death row inmates were proven to have been wrongly convicted.

• February 24, 1934: Born in Maquoketa, Iowa

• 1991: Elected Illinois Secretary of State

• January 11, 1999: Assumes office as Illinois Governor

• 2000: Declared moratorium on state's death penalty

• January 11, 2003: Commutes sentences of every Illinois Death Row inmate

• April 17, 2006: Found guilty on 18 public corruption charges

• August 21, 2007: Appeal for a new trial rejected