by: Tolbert Yarkpawolo
Mayor Larry Langford
This morning, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin also announced that Mayor Langford was charged along with his friend Al LaPierre and businessman Bill Blount. The 101-count indictment released Monday includes charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns.
During the news conference Martin said Langford received bribes from Blount through his friend Al LaPierre to buy clothes and jewelry from expensive New York boutiques and high-end stores in Birmingham as well.
Martin said that between 2003 and 2006, Blount paid for about $235,000 in clothing, jewelry and charge account bills for Langford. The U.S. Attorney also said that Blount gave Langford a $11,000 Rolex watch.
Another accusation is that Bill Blount engineered a personal loan from Colonial Bank for Langford, who defaulted on the loan. Then, Martin said, Blount set up a loan for LaPierre at the same same bank to pay off Langford’s original loan.
Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission before he was elected mayor last year. Birmingham is in Jefferson County. LaPierre turned himself in while Blount is expected to do the same.
Langford is accused of receiving $230,000 in bribes from Blount, some of them routed through LaPierre, to influence the bond deals while Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission. Blount’s firm made $7.1 million in fees from the bond work.
The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Langford in a lawsuit of taking more than $156,000 in undisclosed payments and benefits from Blount and routed through LaPierre.
The three accused men have denied any wrongdoing in the face of similar allegations contained in a lawsuit by federal regulators.
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