A federal appeals court has ordered U.S. District Judge Ronald Buckwalter to resentence former state Senator Vince Fumo, the Associated Press is reporting.

In a 2-1 vote, the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Buckwalter failed to adequately explain why Fumo’s 55-month sentence fell short of sentencing guidelines that prescribed at least ten years in prison.

Fumo, the once-powerful Democratic powerbroker who served his South Philadelphia district for three decades, was convicted in March 2009 of 137 counts of fraud, theft and obstruction of justice.  Federal prosecutors initially sought a twenty-year sentence, which Buckwalter reduced by half.

In further cutting Fumo’s sentence down to less than five years, Buckwalter cited the former senator’s long and storied career of public service and the outpouring of support he received from Keystone State voters and colleagues.

Fumo is currently serving his sentence in a minimum security federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky.