FBI Nabs Birmingham Mayor In Bribe Scheme

(CBS/AP)  The mayor of Alabama's largest city, a player in a multibillion dollar sewer bond deal that drove the surrounding county to the brink of bankruptcy, faces federal criminal charges stemming from a bribery scheme, the U.S. attorney's office said.

U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said there were 101 counts in the federal indictment of Mayor Larry Langford, including "conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns in connection with a long-running bribery scheme related to bond and other financial transactions of Jefferson County," reports CBS affiliate WIAT-TV. The charges all stem from Langford's term on the Jefferson County Commission.

Langford was arrested by the FBI around 7 a.m. Monday, according to bureau spokesman Paul Daymond.

He was accused previously in a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit of taking more than $156,000 from a friend whose firm made millions on risky bond transactions with the county for a new sewer system.

Those bonds went sour as the housing market plunged this year and credit costs skyrocketed and have pushed the state's largest county to the brink of bankruptcy.

The SEC accused Langford of taking the undisclosed payments and benefits from Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount, whose firm collected more than $6.7 million in fees on county bond transactions. The money was allegedly routed through Al LaPierre, a lobbyist who is a friend of Langford.

Langford, Blount and LaPierre have denied any wrongdoing and asked that the lawsuit be thrown out.

An attorney for LaPierre, Tommy Spina, told The Birmingham News that LaPierre would be surrendering later Monday. Spina did not immediately return a call for comment.

Associates at Blount's Montgomery firm said Blount was on his way to Birmingham.

Langford, 60, has drawn attention for a series of colorful stunts since taking office last year, many of which are aimed at trying to turn around an old steel city-turned-medical hub.

He walked into a business meeting with two police officers carrying submachine guns, props meant to generate interest in his "top secret" finance plans. He also announced a longshot bid to bring the 2020 Olympics to Birmingham, and his critics have even gone as far as to call him "Mayor LaLa."

The former promoter and television reporter has been unapologetic about his conduct, saying it's his job to sell the city.

[tnz650-2009]

But he''s anti-gay and holds weekly bible study meetings for his workers. This has to be an athiest conspiracy or else he was put on the top of the gay agenda when he wouldn''t allow the city to put up gay pride banners. How could a man of such riteous, moral christian character be guilty of such offenses?

[codyransom]

The fact that he is black actually decreases the chances that he will go to jail. I just hope that the locals here will support Judge Martin and make sure that he DOES go to jail, exactly where his indignant, smarmy, smartasssed loud little mouth needs to be. For a LONG time. What goes around comes around Larry and you and your pals days of playing are DONE. 65 thousand dollars in clothes and 30 thousand in watches and jewelry. 50 thousand dollar loans that he defaulted on and then got another bribed loan from his friend to pay off the loan he didn''t pay off to begin with. If you want to read ALL about Larry Langford and what a self-righteous little prig he is, go here and read this:

copy and paste the entire link into your browser, beginning with http and ending at #.

http://www.bwcitypaper.com/Articles-i-2008-11-27-225570.113121_The_Year_of_Magical_Thinking.html#

[spinproof]

What happened to the $90,000 in cash from his freezer? Oh sure, this time they didn''t find it! Somebody is going to have a nice xmas! LOL

[au_fait]

Birmingham government has always been corrupt. Although actually, what government does not have it corrupt politicians. Every party is guilty of this!

[hatesthecolt]

Oh boy, here comes more fodder for the racists. Meanwhile white white-collar crimminals on wall street just stroll off into the sunset on their golden parachutes. What''s wrong with this picture?????

[parrot2ok]

Wow ......

[lochlan-2009]

Atleast he is black. That means the chances of him going to jail for this has quadrupled. Who else, in this multibillion fraud, can we put in jail forever?