A federal judge in Virginia on Tuesday sentenced former Gov. Robert McDonnell to two years in prison on public corruption charges.

U.S. District Judge James Spencer handed down the sentence after hearing testimony from a string of witnesses who spoke on McDonnell's behalf. Leading up to Tuesday's hearing, McDonnell's lawyers at Jones Day and Holland & Knight filed hundreds of pages of letters from supporters.

McDonnell's lawyers have already said they plan to appeal the guilty verdict. On Monday, they asked the judge to allow McDonnell to remain free while the case goes before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The jury also found McDonnell's wife Maureen guilty of corruption charges. She is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 20.