The indictment was returned February 26, 2008. In return for Long’s guilty pleas, the United States has agreed to drop count twenty-eight charging the defendant with possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. The plea agreement was filed under seal on May 5 at the defendant’s request. Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice for August 18.
Long was arrested on February 2, 2008, on a criminal complaint. A second complaint was filed on Feb. 4. The maximum penalty for extortion and money laundering is twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine on each count. The maximum penalty for providing a gun to a felon is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocain hydrochloride is a minimum mandatory ten year term of imprisonment with a maximum of life prison and a $4 million fine. If convicted of all counts in the indictment, the defendant faces a statutory minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The allegations are that Mr. Long extorted money from an individual who had a allegedly owed Long an unfulfilled campaign contribution. Thereafter the FBI was able to introduce two undercover agents posing as representatives of the store owners interested in obtaining the Sheriff’s protection. Beginning on April 3, 2007 and continuing until December 14, 2007, the Sheriff accepted 12 payments totaling $17,400, representing what he was told were payments from ethnic Indians to protect their video poker business. Thereafter, the FBI introduced the Sheriff to what he believed was a drug trafficking and money laundering operation. Beginning on December 3, 2007, and continuing until February 2, 2008, the former Sheriff accepted six cash payment totaling $26,550, representing his payoff for the CW supposedly laundering $525,000 in drug trafficking proceeds and distributing ten kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, a controlled substance. During the course of this illegal activity, the former Sheriff is alleged to have provided a gun to a person he knew was a convicted felon.
The investigation associated with this indictment was conducted by the FBI and the IRS.
