<tt id="6hsgl"><pre id="6hsgl"><pre id="6hsgl"></pre></pre></tt>
          <nav id="6hsgl"><th id="6hsgl"></th></nav>
          国产免费网站看v片元遮挡,一亚洲一区二区中文字幕,波多野结衣一区二区免费视频,天天色综网,久久综合给合久久狠狠狠,男人的天堂av一二三区,午夜福利看片在线观看,亚洲中文字幕在线无码一区二区
          WORLD> America
          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case
          (Agencies)
          Updated: 2009-08-06 09:09

          ALEXANDRIA, Virginia: A former Louisiana congressman accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes was convicted in federal court Wednesday in a case in which agents famously found $90,000 stashed in his freezer.

          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case
          In this June 8, 2007 file photo, US Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) leaves US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after arraignment proceedings against him in Alexandria, Virginia. [Agencies]

          William Jefferson, a Democrat who had represented parts of New Orleans for almost 20 years, was stoic as the verdict was read and had little to say afterward. Asked how he was doing, he said, "I'm holding up."

          Prosecutors contended Jefferson accepted more than $400,000 in bribes and sought millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. After a two-month trial, jurors took five days to convict him on 11 of 16 counts that also included racketeering and money laundering. He was acquitted on the other five.

          Assistant US Attorney Mark Lytle said Jefferson could face more than 20 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

          Jefferson had been under investigation since March 2005. In August that year, FBI agents searched his Washington home and found the cash in his freezer, wrapped in foil and hidden in boxes of frozen pie crust. Prosecutors said he had planned to use the money to pay a bribe to the then-vice president of Nigeria to secure a multimillion dollar telecommunications deal there, an accusation Jefferson denied.

          US Attorney Dana Boente said after the verdict that "no person, not even a congressman, is above the law. Ninety thousand dollars in a freezer is not a gray area. It's a violation."

          Related readings:
          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case Sinopec ex-chairman sentenced to death with reprieve for bribery
          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case 'Bribery is widespread' in Rio case
          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case Witness grilled in Olmert bribery case
          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case Indonesia replaces top prosecutors amid bribery scandal

          Ex-US congressman convicted in bribery case Former Japan defense official arrested for bribery

          The defense argued that Jefferson was acting as a private business consultant in brokering the deals and that his actions did not constitute bribery under federal law.

          Defense lawyer Robert Trout said he will appeal.

          The 62-year-old Jefferson was acquitted of counts that included obstruction of justice and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He was the first official to be charged with violating that act, which makes it illegal to bribe foreign government officials.

          In 1991, Jefferson became Louisiana's first African-American congressman since Reconstruction. His run ended in December, when Republican attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao beat him a year after a grand jury indicted Jefferson.

          The verdicts were a clear victory for the Justice Department, which had been embarrassed earlier this year by allegations of prosecutorial misconduct that forced them to drop corruption charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens.

          Jefferson took the money found in the freezer as part of an FBI sting. A disgruntled businesswoman, Lori Mody, agreed to wear a wire after telling the FBI that she had been cheated out of $3.5 million in deals brokered by Jefferson.

          The jury saw videotape of Mody handing over a suitcase filled with $100,000 cash outside an Arlington hotel. On the tape, Mody asks Jefferson if he would like to "take a peek" at the suitcase's contents."

          "No, I would not," a wary Jefferson responded.

          A few days later, agents recovered nearly all the money in the freezer. The defense argued that Jefferson never intended to pay a bribe and took the money only to placate an overly aggressive Mody, who was insisting on paying the Nigerian vice president to seal her business deal.

          Judge T.S. Ellis III allowed Jefferson to remain free on bond until sentencing set for October 30, although prosecutors argued he was flight risk because of his ties to Africa. Jurors must return to the courthouse Thursday to consider whether Jefferson has to forfeit more than $450,000 in alleged bribe receipts.

          Prosecutors outlined numerous schemes in which they accused Jefferson of concealing bribe payments as "consulting fees" paid to sham companies controlled by his wife and brother. Legally, much of the case turned on whether Jefferson's deal-making was an "official act" under federal bribery laws.

          New Orleans voters had long been loyal to Jefferson, re-electing him in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke, and some remain on his side.

          主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产精品久久久久久久久软件| 国产伦一区二区三区久久| 日韩欧国产精品一区综合无码| 欧美日本国产va高清cabal| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区| 97午夜理论电影影院| bt天堂新版中文在线| 亚洲国产成熟视频在线多多| 国产成人午夜福利在线观看| 夫妻一起自拍内射小视频| 国产一区二区不卡在线看| 乱人伦人妻系列| 又黄又爽又色的少妇毛片| 日韩最新中文字幕| 成人性影院| 久久大香伊蕉在人线免费AV| 日韩欧美国产另类| jizzjizz少妇亚洲水多| 爱性久久久久久久久| 成人3d动漫一区二区三区| 伊人久久精品无码麻豆一区| 亚洲一区二区三区成人网站| 午夜高清福利在线观看| 青青草欧美| 亚洲无av在线中文字幕| 亚洲色成人www在线观看| 久久综合色最新久久综合色| 国产成人高清亚洲综合| 五月天国产成人av免费观看| 两个人的视频www免费| 国产在线观看免费观看不卡| 超碰自拍成人在线观看| 久久91综合国产91久久精品| 精品 日韩 国产 欧美 视频| 超频97人妻在线视频| 国产av午夜精品福利| 久久香蕉欧美精品| 欧美有码在线观看| 日韩中文字幕国产精品| 香蕉久久国产超碰青草| 精品国产午夜福利在线观看|