</s>Inaki Urdangarin is married to Princess Cristina, sister of King Felipe VI. (Reuters)</s>The brother-in-law of Spain's king turned himself in to authorities on Monday to serve a five-year, 10-month prison sentence for crimes including tax fraud and embezzlement, a prison system spokesman said.

Inaki Urdangarin signed himself into the Brieva prison in Avila at around 8:00 am (0600 GMT). He had been given five-day deadline last Tuesday to appear at a penal institution of his choosing.

Urdangarin is married to Princess Cristina, sister of King Felipe VI.

Urdangarin was found guilty in February last year of using royal connections to overcharge regional governments through public contracts to stage sports and tourist events and with tax fraud.

The retired Spanish handball player appealed the sentence before the Supreme Court, which cut the sentence slightly after overturning a part of the original ruling by the Mallorcan Court.

He may appeal the Supreme Court's ruling before the Constitutional Court.</s>The brother-in-law of Spain's King Felipe VI has begun serving a nearly six-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion, Spanish prison authorities said Monday.

Inaki Urdangarin, who is married to King Felipe's sister Princess Christina, arrived Monday morning at a prison near Avila, about 62miles north of Madrid.

Urdangarin, a 50-year-old former handball player and Olympic medal winner, exploited his royal connections to overcharge regional governments for public events contracts, embezzling some 6million euros (£5.25million).

He was convicted to five years and ten months in prison in February last year, and his wife Princess Cristina was fined 136,950 euros (£120,000) as a beneficiary of her husband's crimes.

The corruption scandal aided in the erosion of the public image of the Spanish royal family and prompted the abdication in 2014 of Juan Carlos I, who ceded the throne to Felipe.

The retired Spanish handball player appealed the sentence before the Supreme Court, which cut the sentence slightly after overturning a part of the original ruling by the Mallorcan Court.

He may appeal the Supreme Court’s ruling before the Constitutional Court.

Urdangarin had been given five days to voluntarily turn himself in to begin serving his sentence after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal earlier this month.

The ministry official described the Brieva prison chosen by Urdangarin as a small facility with less than 100 inmates, most of them women.

The prison has a small module for men, but authorities could choose to send him elsewhere for security or internal organization reasons, the official said.

Spain's Royal House has said that it respects judicial decisions and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have not publicly commented on the result of the appeal.

The royal couple is on an official visit to the United States. On Monday they are scheduled to meet entrepreneurs and students in San Antonio, Texas, before traveling to Washington D.C. for a meeting Tuesday with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.</s>Spanish media report that the brother-in-law of Spain's King Felipe VI is already in prison to begin serving a sentence of nearly six years for fraud and tax evasion

MADRID (AP) — Spanish prison authorities say that the brother-in-law of Spain’s King Felipe VI has begun serving a nearly six-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion.

An official with the Interior Ministry’s prison management division said Inaki Urdangarin arrived Monday morning at a prison near Avila, about 100 kilometers north of Madrid. The official spoke anonymously, in line with internal rules.

Urdangarin, a 50-year-old former Olympic handball medal winner married to the king’s sister, Princess Cristina, is the closest person to the ruling Bourbon family to be imprisoned.

He was convicted to five years and 10 months in prison for embezzling about 6 million euros ($7 million) by exploiting his position in the royal family to obtain public contracts.

Cristina was fined 136,950 euros ($158,600) as a beneficiary of the scheme.</s>MADRID, June 18 (Reuters) - The brother-in-law of Spain's king has turned himself in to authorities to serve a five-year, 10-month prison sentence for crimes including tax fraud and embezzlement, a prison system spokesman said on Monday.

Inaki Urdangarin signed himself into the Brieva prison in Avila at around 8:00 am (0600 GMT). He had been given five-day deadline last Tuesday to appear at a penal institution of his choosing. (Reporting by Raquel Castillo; Writing by Paul Day; Editing by Catherine Evans)</s>Iñaki Urdangarin was found guilty last year of embezzling millions of euros between 2004-2006 from a non-profit foundation he headed in Majorca.

Last week Spain's Supreme Court rejected his appeal and handed him a sentence of five years and 10 months in prison.

Urdangarin, just as any citizen, was allowed to choose where he wanted to serve his sentence.

Princess Cristina's husband is not the first man to serve in the Brieva prison. The former director of the Civil Guard Luis Roldán, convicted in 1998 to 31 years for embezzlement offences, was also held in the same male unit.

Brieva prison is located 100 kilometres north of Madrid and, despite it being a prison for women, it has four cells reserved for male inmates.

The prison is one of the smallest in Spain and was built in 1989.

It is the first time in modern Spanish history that a monarch's relative has gone to prison. The case caused an uproar in Spain, which contributed to the decision of King Felipe VI's father Juan Carlos I to abdicate in 2014.</s>Spanish media report that the brother-in-law of Spain's King Felipe VI is already in prison to begin serving a sentence of nearly six years for fraud and tax evasion

MADRID (AP) — The brother-in-law of Spain’s King Felipe VI has begun serving a nearly six-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion, Spanish prison authorities said Monday.

An official with the Interior Ministry’s prison management division said Inaki Urdangarin arrived Monday morning at a prison near Avila, about 100 kilometers north of Madrid. The official spoke anonymously, in line with ministry rules.

Urdangarin, a 50-year-old former Olympic handball medal winner married to the king’s sister, Cristina, is the closest person to the ruling Bourbon family to be imprisoned.

He was convicted to five years and 10 months in prison for embezzling about 6 million euros ($7 million) by exploiting his position in the royal family to obtain public contracts.

Cristina was fined 136,950 euros ($158,600) as a beneficiary of her husband’s crimes.

The corruption scandal helped erode the image of the Spanish royal family and prompted the abdication in 2014 of Juan Carlos I, who ceded the throne to Felipe.

Urdangarin had been given five days to voluntarily turn himself in to begin serving his sentence after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal earlier this month.

The ministry official described the Brieva prison chosen by Urdangarin as a small facility with less than 100 inmates, most of them women.

The prison has a small module for men, but authorities could choose to send him elsewhere for security or internal organization reasons, the official said.

Spain’s Royal House has said that it respects judicial decisions and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have not publicly commented on the result of the appeal.

The royal couple is on an official visit to the United States. On Monday they are scheduled to meet entrepreneurs and students in San Antonio, Texas, before traveling to Washington D.C. for a meeting Tuesday with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.</s>The brother-in-law of Spain's king entered prison on the outskirts of the ancient central city of Avila early Monday to begin serving a jail sentence of five years and 10 months for corruption, the country's penitentiary service said.

Iñaki Urdangarín, who is married to Princess Cristina, was allowed the option of being able to pick the prison of his choice and selected the rural Brieva penitentiary, located seven kilometers (4.3 miles) east of Avila, which is normally used to house women offenders but has a secluded unit in which men can serve their sentences.</s>President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump warmly welcomed King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain to the White House. USA TODAY
Iñaki Urdangarin, brother-in-law of King Felipe VI of Spain, enters prison to serve the sentence of almost 6 years for the Nóos case.