Whatever happened to that Democrat with a freezer full of washed money?
Well after getting tossed out of congress, finally, the law was able to catch up with him and he has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in November of 2009. Unfortunately he is still free on appeal.
Former Rep. William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to serve 13 years in prison for what the lead prosecutor described as "the most extensive and pervasive pattern of corruption in the history of Congress."
While the sentence by federal Judge T.S. Ellis III fell well short of the 27 to 33 years recommended by the government, it is by the far the stiffest jail term ever imposed on a member or former member of Congress for crimes committed while in office.
Jefferson, 62, was found guilty Aug. 6 on 11 charges, including soliciting bribes, depriving citizens of honest service, money laundering and using his office as a racketeering enterprise.
He was acquitted of five other charges in a case that famously featured the revelation that he had hidden $90,000 in the freezer of his home, marked bills from the FBI that prosecutors said was going to be used as a bribe.
The judge also ordered Jefferson to forfeit the $470,653.47 the jury had determined was funneled to shell companies under his family's control through his bribe schemes.
Jefferson owes $5 million in legal fees and has filed for bankruptcy.
December 06, 2010
Jefferson, a New Orleans Democrat, filed his appellate brief last month, arguing that the trial judge, T.S. Ellis III, made errors in his jury instructions and that convictions dealing with honest serves wire fraud should be struck down because of a recent Supreme Court ruling putting new limits on prosecutors' use of the statute.
In a brief filed with the 4th Circuit last week, the Justice Department said that in order to respond to the Jefferson appeal it must conduct an in-depth review of the trial record, which involved more than 1,000 exhibits, 8,000 pages of transcripts, 50 witnesses and more than 700 docket entries.
I just wonder who is doing the pro bono work on his behalf... and why.
His brother Mose and several of his posse have also been convicted. His brother reported to prison back in March to start a 10 year stretch.
