Conrad Black has been convicted of criminal charges in Chicago and could be off to jail for up to 20 years.
The guilty verdict on four of the 13 charges against him - including fraud and obstruction of justice - came after a three-month trial and nearly three years of investigation by American prosecutors.
Lord Black had vigorously denied the allegations for months and lashed out at prosecutors. As recently as last weekend he called the case against him an outrage and said he felt like “a soldier conscripted for a foreign war. You fight till you win, and then you come home.”
Lord Black's wife, Barbara Amiel Black, attended much of the trial, sitting behind him in a front-row pew. The two could be seen strolling the hallways during breaks, sometimes holding hands and chatting closely. Lord Black's three
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paul waldie reports from Chicago as the press baron is found guilty on four counts |
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children from his first marriage also attended the trial frequently, as did several supporters and even Lady Black's ex husband, George Jonas.
The criminal case revolved largely around the sale of dozens of newspaper titles owned by Chicago-based Hollinger International. Prosecutors maintained that Lord Black and three other former Hollinger executives pocketed more than $60m in payments related to non competition agreements signed as part of those deals. That money, prosecutors said, belonged to Hollinger’s shareholders.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors told the jury repeatedly that Lord Black and the others stole the money and lied to company directors to cover up their scheme. They implored jurors to look beyond a paper trail created by Lord Black and ask themselves why this money was paid to the individuals instead of the 
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