  frank w. ballance, jr. (born february 15, 1942), american politician, is an attorney and a former democratic member of the united states house of representatives from 2003 to 2004, representing north carolina's 1st congressional district. in 2004, ballance pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering, and was sentenced to four years in prison, two years supervised release, and fined $10,000. ==background== ballance was born in windsor, north carolina. he graduated from w. s. etheridge high school in 1959 and attended north carolina central university, earning a bachelor's degree in 1963 and a law degree in 1965. after receiving his law degree, ballance briefly served as a faculty member of the south carolina state university school of law before entering private practice in 1966. he served in the north carolina national guard reserve from 1968 to 1971. ===marriage and family=== he married bernadine smallwood in 1969; they have three children. ==political career== ballance was first elected to the house of the state legislature in 1983 and served until 1986. in 1988, he was elected to the north carolina senate; that same year, he had served as chair of the warren county chapter of the naacp. ballance served in the state senate until 2002, including as deputy president pro tempore from 1997 to 2002. he was appointed to the board of trustees for both north carolina central university and elizabeth city state university. ballance ran for, and was elected to, the united states house of representatives from north carolina's 1st congressional district in 2002. after election to congress, he served as the president of the 108th congress's democratic freshman class. ballance served on the house agriculture committee and the house small business committee. on june 8, 2004, ballance resigned from his seat due to health issues after being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis., wral.com, 2004-06-08 ballance's successor, g. k. butterfield, was elected in a special election on july 20.[http
1942_births African-American_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives American_lawyers American_librarians American_money_launderers Democratic_Party_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives Disbarred_lawyers Living_people Members_of_the_North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives Members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives_from_North_Carolina North_Carolina_Central_University_alumni North_Carolina_Democrats North_Carolina_State_Senators North_Carolina_lawyers Politicians_convicted_of_mail_and_wire_fraud South_Carolina_State_University_faculty