WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A longtime New York lawmaker who admitted evading taxes and trying to influence a grand jury has begun his 21-month prison sentence.

A spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons says former state Sen. Vincent Leibell surrendered Wednesday morning at a low-security prison in Loretto, Pa.

The spokesman says the 64-year-old Leibell will live in an open dormitory and wear prison clothes. He’ll be assigned a job at the prison in such areas as food service or landscaping.

Leibell admitted in December that he failed to report $43,000 in kickbacks from attorneys. Prosecutors said he told one attorney to lie to a grand jury.

Leibell, a Republican, had been elected Putnam County executive in November. He gave up that post as well as the last month of his Senate term.