Jerome Block Jr. to be sentenced

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Former Public Regulation Commissioner, Jerome Block Jr., is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for not complying with a court-supervised drug treatment program.  .

Block will make his appearance before District Judge Michael Vigil.

He faces up to four and a half years in prison. Block's participation in the drug program was part of a plea agreement which would've kept him out of prison. This was all after he plead guilty to felonies for misuse of taxpayer money and election law violations while serving on the state Public Regulation Commission.

Block resigned in October 2011 from the PRC after the charges surfaced.

His attorney blames Block's addiction to prescription pain killers and cocaine.

Since Block's resignation the PRC, which regulates utilities, telecommunications and insurance, has come under fire for the corruption. 

It was also highlighted in a non-partisan, non-profit group report in Washington, D.C. which named  New Mexico as one of the most corrupt state's in the country.