Former Virginia governor found guilty of corruption

A jury on Thursday found former Governor of U.S. State Virginia Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, guilty of a slate of public-corruption charges.

According to a report of NBC News, the jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about 48 hours after hearing testimony for more than a month in the federal court, not far from the governor's mansion where the couple lived from 2010 through January.

The jury rejected the couple's defense that their marriage was too broken for them to conspire and that they didn't accept lavish gifts in exchange for backing a wealthy donor's business, the report said.

McDonnell was convicted on 11 conspiracy-related counts, and Maureen was convicted on nine counts, including conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to the report.

McDonnell and Maureen had both pleaded not guilty to the charges they faced. They were acquitted of making false statements on bank-loan applications and Maureen was found not guilty of charges related to accepting golf games and gear, among other things.

With their verdict, jurors accepted the prosecution's argument that the couple wrongfully used their position to promote a company by arranging meetings for the company founder Jonnie Williams with state officials and hosting events at the governor's mansion.

Law experts said that the couple, who have five children and are both 60 years old, are expected to face 20-year prison terms and hefty fines.