ATLANTA -- State Representative Ron Sailor Jr. pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of money laundering.

Sailor, 33, of Norcross, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal district court to a felony criminal information charging him with laundering and attempting to launder what he believed to be drug proceeds, after taking possession and agreeing to launder a total of approximately $375,000 of cash from the purported sale of cocaine.

Sailor was arrested in December and prosecutors said he has been cooperating with an "active public corruption investigation".

“This case did not start as a public corruption matter, but rather as a drug money laundering investigation -- part of our diligent efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute significant drug traffickers and money launderers, whomever they may be,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “Rep. Sailor’s actions in that regard were very disturbing, because he was a person entrusted by his community with enacting the law, who instead violated the law in a serious way, seeking to assist the drug traffickers who sell their poison in our communities."

Federal prosecutors told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter Tiffani Reynolds that Sailor laundered $75,000 from an undercover FBI agent and was attempting to launder an additional $300,000 when he was arrested.

Sailor apologized and told the judge he tried to launder the money because he was deep in debt.

Sailor could be sentenced to up to 20 years and fined $250,000. He'll be sentenced on May 22.

The Democrat is expected to resign Tuesday from the seat he has held since 2001 in the Legislature. He represents District 93 which includes parts of DeKalb and Rockdale Counties.

House Democratic Leader DuBose Porter and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre released a joint statement which said, "Our credibility and trust is all we have and it is sad when that trust is broken. This is an unfortunate matter where the public trust has been broken. There are honorable men and women in the House and this should not be a reflection on all of us."

On his Legislature web site Sailor lists his occupation as a pastor.

His father, Ron Sailor Sr., worked as a reporter as WSB-TV Channel 2 in the 1980s.