After delay, corruption retrial begins Monday

Alabama’s gambling corruption retrial begins Monday, almost six months after the first trial ended in numerous acquittals and several hung counts and eight days after one of the defendants was found dead.

Six defendants will stand trial, five fewer than were originally arrested in October of 2010 when federal authorities swooped into the state and made a roundup of arrests. Two of the original defendants, Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and lobbyist Jarrod Massey, pleaded guilty to multiple bribery counts. Two defendants, Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, and lobbyist Robert Geddie, were acquitted of all charges in the first trial that ended in August of 2011. The retrial was scheduled to begin Jan. 30, but was delayed one week after defendant Ray Crosby, a former legislative analyst, was found dead in his home Jan. 29. Crosby faced a single count of bribery, which was dismissed in the wake of his death.

Jury selection begins at 9 a.m. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson has ordered attorneys and defendants to be present at 8 a.m. in order to take care of any pre-trial motions that may still be pending.

One motion that still remained unresolved Friday is a motion by prosecutors to bar attorneys from making public comments about the trial. The prosecution motion and defense responses have been filed under seal and are unavailable for public view.

A federal jury acquitted the defendants on 91 counts during the initial trial, but was unable to come to a consensus on 33 counts.

The remaining defendants and counts follow:

» Milton McGregor: Owner of the VictoryLand casino. McGregor still faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery in an alleged offer of $1 million in public relations business to Sen. Scott Beason, two additional bribery counts in the alleged offer of campaign donations to then-Sens. Larry Means and Jim Preuitt in exchange for a pro-gambling vote, bribery in the alleged payment of $42,000 to former legislative analyst Ray Crosby, and nine counts of honest services wire fraud.

» Tom Coker: Lobbyist for McGregor. Coker still faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery in the alleged offer of campaign support to Preuitt in exchange for a pro-gambling vote and one count of honest services wire fraud.

» Larry Means: Former state senator from Etowah County. Means still faces a charge of conspiracy, and a bribery count in which prosecutors allege Means sought $100,000 in exchange for his pro-gambling vote.

» Jim Preuitt: Former state senator from Talladega. Preuitt still faces a charge of conspiracy, one count of bribery in which prosecutors allege he agreed to accept $2 million in campaign support for his pro-gambling vote, and one count of making a false statement to FBI investigators.

» Harri Anne Smith: State senator from Slocomb. Smith still faces a charge of conspiracy, bribery in connection with what prosecutors say was an agreement to accept $400,000 in campaign donations from Gilley in exchange for help with pro-gambling legislation, two counts of honest services wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.

» Jay Walker: Former Country Crossing spokesperson. Walker still faces a charge of conspiracy and a single count of bribery in connection with an alleged offer of $2 million in campaign help to Preuitt.