Rose Begins 5-Month Sentence

MARION, Ill. —  Pete Rose arrived at a federal work camp today to begin serving a five-month sentence for cheating on his income taxes.

Baseball’s all-time hit leader surrendered at the prison about 1 p.m. CDT.

Rose said he did not want to talk to the media, and Warden John Clark’s statement said the prison will respect his request for privacy.

Rose, 49, had a Friday deadline to enter the minimum-security federal prison camp. He was convicted on two counts of filing false income tax returns and for failing to report more than $350,000 in income from gambling, autograph signing and baseball memorabilia sales.

He delayed reporting to prison while he recovered from July 20 knee surgery.

The 200-man work camp is next to the U.S. Penitentiary-Marion, which houses about 350 inmates. Rose is unlikely to have any contact with those inmates, who are kept in a building barricaded with razor wire and separated from the prison camp.

During his first two weeks at the camp, Rose will stay in a building apart from the main dormitory while he is oriented to prison life, authorities said. Prison officials will interview him to match his skills to one of about 35 prison jobs.

Rose’s attorneys have said he will not grant interviews during his entire term.

Guards are barred from seeking his autograph.