By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has been charged with bribery, fraud and other federal charges in connection with multimillion-dollar sewer bond deals when he was president of the Jefferson County Commission.
Federal prosectors in Birmingham said Langford, Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre were charged in the 101-count indictment released Monday. The charges include moneylaundering and filing false tax returns.
Langford is accused of receiving $230,000 in a series of bribes from Blount, some of them routed through LaPierre, to influence the bond deals. Blount's firm made $7.1 million from the bond work.
The three, charged previously in a civil suit, have denied any wrongdoing.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)