William “The Freezer”© Jefferson pleaded not guilty today to 16 criminal counts which could put him in jail for 235 years:
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Rep. William Jefferson pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa.
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A 94-page indictment, handed down Monday, details 11 separate bribery schemes and 16 criminal counts, including racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.
If convicted, Jefferson faces a possible maximum sentence of 235 years. His trial is scheduled for January.
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According to court records, FBI agents videotaped Jefferson picking up a $100,000 cash bribe in 2005 from an informant in a hotel parking garage. Two days later, FBI agents raided Jefferson’s home in Washington and found $90,000 in cash stuffed in a box in his freezer.
Jefferson alluded to that money on Friday, but he declined to answer any questions.
“The $90,000 was the FBI’s money,” he said. “The FBI gave it to me as part of its plan - part of their plan - that I would give it to the Nigerian vice president, but I did not do that. When all the facts are understood, I trust that I will be vindicated.”
I see. The FBI gave you the money as part of their plan to have you give it to someone else, yet they have stayed silent for these past two years and let you twist in the wind. It’s all a misunderstanding!
Question: If it was a FBI plan, and you were supposed to give the $100,000 to someone else as a part of that plan, why did the FBI only find $90,000 in the freezer? Where is the other $10,000? Was it a “fee” for participating in the FBI plan?
Question: If this was a FBI plan, why did you have to go to a hotel parking garage and get $100,000 from someone who doesn’t work for the FBI? Why didn’t you just go the FBI office and pick it up there?
This trial should be very interesting. Anyone have a guess as to how long it will take before he plays the race card?
