Despite Ironwood not having cracked yet, there's still the three other seats of the council. In Atlas. After he was just caught stealing from the Schnee Dust Company. In Atlas. People have been jailed-for-life for less in Atlas, or at least that's the impression it gives off. But it's basically the same situation as Roman Torchwick. Who was put in the world's smallest cell on a sky-boat.
Having previously been a criminal isn't the issue. It's how he got to Shade. So, if you do a PM of what went down, and divorce the end of his criminal career with his joining of Shade, at least chronologically, and it'll probably work better.