Art Schlichter may face more prison time

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter is facing additional time behind bars as he prepares to plead guilty to federal fraud charges stemming from a million-dollar ticket scheme.

An amended plea agreement filed Monday in federal court in Columbus calls for him to serve nearly two more years for violating his probation from a conviction in Indiana.

Marion Superior Court Judge Grant Hawkins in Indianapolis had refused to cancel Schlichter's arrest warrant in Indiana until the extra time was added. Schlichter was convicted of forgery and theft in Indiana in 1997.

Schlichter, 51, has said he'll plead guilty to federal charges of bank and wire fraud and filing a false tax return linked to the ticket scheme.

State and federal authorities say Schlichter, whose NFL career was derailed by a gambling addiction, promised college and NFL game tickets, including the Super Bowl, but never delivered despite receiving thousands of dollars in payments.

His first plea deal in federal court called for him to serve eight years in prison, to run at the same time as a 10-year state prison sentence on related charges.

The new deal filed Monday increases the federal time by 27 months.

Assuming Schlichter earns federal good-time behavior credit, he'll actually serve just over nine years in federal prison, compared to just over seven under the original deal.

He'll still have a few months left on his state prison term at that point, though he'll also receive credit for jail time since his February arrest.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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