Update: Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, arrested, jailed on federal charges

Birmingham News ^ | 12/1/8 | Val Walton

[SmithL]

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford was arrested this morning on federal charges and is being held at the federal courthouse, the FBI and other federal officials confirm.

A special grand jury for several months has been investigating county bond deals and Langford's financial dealings. Langford was Jefferson County Commission president 2002-06.

Al LaPierre, a close friend of Langford's who also was part of the federal investigation, will be surrendering today, said his attorney, Tommy Spina.

David McKnight, Montgomery banker Bill Blount's attorney, said Blount is on his way to Birmingham from Montgomery to surrender.

U.S. Attorney Alice Martin will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. to release details.

The Langford, LaPierre and Blount indictments are under seal, so details of the charges are not available.
 

Langford, LaPierre and Blount are accused in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit of not disclosing $156,000 in payments to Langford. The SEC has accused Blount of paying Langford through LaPierre as part of a plan to secure Jefferson County financial business when Langford was Jefferson County Commission president. (Read the May 2008 story)

The SEC lawsuit against Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford fails to show how friends' personal payments to Langford led to $6.7 million in government business, their lawyers said in a filing seeking dismissal of the suit this summer.

Former Jefferson County Commissioner John Katopodis was indicted in October on fraud charges stemming from his involvement with Computer Help for Kids, a charity established by Langford when Langford was mayor of Fairfield. Katapodis was arraigned on those charges in mid-November. Details of those charges.

[SmithL]

No mention of political party?

[freespirited]

You know what that means.

[Slings and Arrows]

No mention of political party?

Careful - don't let the MSM know that we've broken their code.

[clee1]

Do you even have to wonder?

[SmithL]

I’m starting to see a pattern, . . .

[IbJensen]

Oh, no! He couldn’t be a Democrat, could he?

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Haha! Take a wild stab!

[freespirited]

Oh, no! He couldn’t be a Democrat, could he?

Congratulations. You are the genius du jour.

[gunnedah]

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and the Democrats have killed America.

[2CAVTrooper]

I was just about to post a thread about this so I’m glad I ran a search again before I clicked the post button.

“No mention of political party?”

He’s a democrat.

“Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission before he was elected mayor last year. He’s been accused in a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit of taking more than $156,000 from a friend whose firm made millions on risky bond transactions that has pushed the state’s largest county to the brink of bankruptcy.”

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=9436170

Cute statement from the mayor’s office trying to paint this as a political hit:

“This is certainly no surprise to us — we anticipated something happening soon especially knowing Alice Martin’s days in office are numbered with the swearing in of a new president in late January — just a little over a month from now.”

[4integrity]

‘...don’t let the MSM know that we’ve broken their code.’’

LOL !

[RatRipper]

If I am not mistaken, La Pierre used to be chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Hmmmm.....lemme guess...:)

[vox_freedom]

This type of enforcement will all stop when Obama and Eric Holder, along with their new team of US Attorney's, get up to speed in the "new" Dept. of Justice.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

A democrat “culture of corruption”...never! sarc/

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/mark

[SunkenCiv]

$156K? I'm sure it's just a big misunderstanding. I mean, it's not as if investigators found it in a plastic bag in his freezer.

Google

[usslsm51]

Is there any doubt?

[WarEagle]

And the bonds in question are part of the financing vehicle for the Jefferson County $4 billion sewer project, which the county cannot repay. They have tried to paint this fiasco as the fault of "Wall Street", as if "Wall Street" twisted the county commissioners arms and made them borrow the money. Now they want a bailout from, you guessed it, Uncle Sugar's printing press.

The sad thing is Langford sold himself so cheaply. $156K is chicken feed in comparison to the millions made by the bond brokers.

[RetiredArmy]

Birmingham is a dump. This mayor is a crook. Just like Detroit, and Atlanta, these dimocrat mayors (nearly all black) get into power and start trying to build an empire like Chicago, and making money and stuffing their pockets. The former mayor, Arrington, was a bum and crook also. B’ham is one of the murder capitals of the nation. Small city, big murders. Gang murders. Gang shootings. When liberals say we don’t need a weapon to protect yourself, just try going to downtown Bham, Atlanta, etc. without one. White boy would not last 30 seconds in the hood. We go to the Hoover area, but downtown is out. The big hospitals are down there and we went there when my brother had his hip replaced, but no thanks to walking around downtown.