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Fmr. Santa Clara County Supervisor Shirakawa Released From Jail

SAN JOSE (CBS/AP) -- Authorities said a former Santa Clara County supervisor has been released from jail after serving time for corruption and misuse of public funds.

Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said Friday that George Shirakawa Jr., is out of custody from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. A jail employee says the 52-year-old Shirawaka was released on May 9.

Shirakawa served seven months of a 15-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to 12 charges, including gambling with public funds, in November.

Shirakawa acknowledged filing inaccurate expense reports and using his county-issued credit card to support what he described as a gambling addiction.

Prosecutors said Shirakawa moved $130,000 from campaign accounts to casinos in Las Vegas and Southern California. Shirakawa's misdeeds cost taxpayers about $2.7 million.

Shirakawa also faces another separate felony charge of illegal campaigning.

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