Former Florida Rep. David Rivera was sentenced to a decade in federal prison Friday after a jury convicted him of concealing a $50 million lobbying operation conducted on behalf of Venezuela during President Donald Trump’s first administration.

Rivera, a Republican who represented South Florida in Congress from 2011 to 2013, was convicted in May of failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has remained in federal custody since the verdict.

Prosecutors said Rivera used a $50 million contract with PDV USA, a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, as cover for efforts to influence U.S. policy toward the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The lobbying campaign sought to use Rivera’s political connections to improve relations between the Trump administration and the Maduro government. Prosecutors said Rivera concealed his work rather than registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The case also brought Secretary of State Marco Rubio into the courtroom. Rubio, a longtime friend of Rivera, testified during the trial that he was unaware Rivera was working on behalf of the Venezuelan government when the two met in 2017. Rubio was not accused of wrongdoing.

Prosecutors argued that Rivera betrayed a position of public trust by concealing his relationship with the Venezuelan government. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz told the court that the public and the United States were the victims of Rivera’s conduct.

Rivera continued to maintain his innocence at sentencing. His attorneys argued that he believed the consulting work was focused on bringing ExxonMobil back to Venezuela and therefore did not require registration as foreign lobbying.

The defense also argued that Rivera’s political discussions with Rubio and former Rep. Pete Sessions were separate from the consulting contract and were not intended to assist Maduro. Prosecutors disputed that characterization and argued the $50 million agreement was used as cover for the lobbying effort.

Rivera’s attorneys pointed to his prostate cancer diagnosis and his two young children while asking the court for a shorter sentence. Rivera told the judge that he did not deserve to die in prison.

Judge Melissa Damian nevertheless imposed the 10-year sentence. Prosecutors had sought a substantially longer term, while Rivera’s defense requested eight years.

Political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who was also convicted in connection with the operation, previously received a five-year prison sentence.

Rivera has applied for a pardon from President Trump, and his attorneys plan to appeal his conviction. He also faces a separate federal case involving similar allegations.