Roger Stone files appeal after saying he is 'praying for a pardon' from Trump

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Roger Stone says order to report to jail is 'essentially a death sentence'

Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone talks to Tucker Carlson after judge denies his bid for a new trial.

Roger Stone, the flamboyant political consultant and longtime associate of President Trump, officially filed an appeal of his conviction on obstruction, witness tampering and other charges that led to him being handed a 40-month sentence by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Fox News confirmed Thursday that Stone’s attorneys were told by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that his surrender date for prison is now being delayed at least 30 days because of coronavirus. The news was first reported by ABC News.

Stone filed a notice appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Thursday, which briefly stated that Stone would pursue a review of his conviction and sentence in the appeals court. The filing of the appeal came just hours after Stone was on the receiving end of a supportive tweet from Trump.

"I, Roger Stone, hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from the above-stated judgment and order, the sentence imposed, and all underlying orders," it said.

ROGER STONE 'PRAYING' FOR TRUMP PARDON, SAYS PRISON 'DE FACTO DEATH SENTENCE' BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS

The filing noted that Stone remains out on bail, although he was originally slated to turn himself in for incarceration on Thursday after Berman Jackson denied his motion for a new trial. It's unclear if Stone still plans to turn himself in in light of the appeal -- last week he spoke about his fear of going to prison amid the coronavirus pandemic on the "Morano Whenever" podcast on AM 970 The Answer.

"I'm very concerned," Stone said. "I'm 67 years old. I had very, very severe asthma as a child. There was actually a point at which they didn't know whether I would make it because I couldn't breathe. Therefore, I have some damage to my lungs."

He continued: "If you look at the profile of those who are most at risk, I think I fit that."

In the same podcast appearance, Stone noted that he was "praying for a pardon" from Trump, and said that he was considering an appeal.

Stone hasn't gotten that pardon from Trump, but he did get some sympathetic words in the form of a tweet on Thursday morning.

"Does anybody really believe that Roger Stone, a man whose house was raided early in the morning by 29 gun toting FBI Agents (with Fake News @CNN closely in toe), was treated fairly. How about the jury forewoman with her unannounced hatred & bias. Same scammers as General Flynn!" Trump said, as new information came to light raising questions about the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

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Stone's case drew significant controversy after prosecutors recommended a sentence much heavier than the 40 months he eventually received, prompting higher-ups at the Department of Justice to file another, more lenient sentencing recommendation. That caused all the prosecutors assigned to the Stone case to resign from it, touching off a minor D.C. firestorm.

There was also a controversy involving alleged bias from a member of the jury, which was at the heart of Stone's unsuccessful motion for a new trial.

Fox News' Alex Pappas, Gregg Re and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.