Karen Carter Peterson declined to comment as she left the federal courthouse in downtown New Orleans. Peterson spent nearly 22 years in the Louisiana legislature. Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance sentenced her to 22 months in prison. Earlier, she pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud. She also resigned from the Senate and admitted to using more than $140,000 from campaign contributors and the state Democratic Party to feed an insatiable gambling addiction.