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DiMasi Moved To Federal Prison In NYC

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has been transferred from a federal prison in Kentucky to one in New York City.

DiMasi is being housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as of Tuesday morning, according to the Federal Bureau of Prison's inmate locator.

It is unclear if the move is permanent. A spokeswoman says the bureau does not provide further specific information on inmates.

The Boston Globe reports DiMasi is making his way back to Massachusetts to testify in a federal grand jury investigation. It's not clear which investigation he may be testifying in, but prosecutors have been investigating patronage at the state's Probation Department.

The 66-year-old DiMasi is serving an eight-year prison sentence. He was convicted last June of conspiracy, extortion and honest services fraud.

The former speaker reported to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 30, but had been seeking a transfer to a federal prison in Devens, Mass.

The current speaker, Robert DeLeo, on Tuesday asked lawmakers not to let the possible grand jury testimony by his predecessor become a distraction.

"We have a lot of business to do and we really have to move forward, and we can't let some of those outside issues distract us," DeLeo said.

DeLeo says he has been informed he is not a target of any federal investigation.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom

This article was originally published on February 06, 2012.

This program aired on February 6, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.

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