Cecil McCrory wants to withdraw his guilty plea in the Chris Epps scandal. McCrory pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2015. McCrory worked with Chris Epps to shake down MDOC vendors for bribes and kickbacks. McCrory would act as the middleman and pay off Mr. Epps when he was MDOC Commissioner. McCrory alleged that he was innocent of the charges and poorly represented by his lawyer, Don Leland. Earlier post about motion to withdraw. McCrory also charged that then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst "manipulated" his case for his upcoming run for Mississippi Attorney General. McCrory is now represented by Carlos Tanner. However, the transcript of the hearing tells a somewhat different story.
Read the transcript for yourself. It is posted below and the relevant statements are highlighted in yellow. Judge Wingate was very thorough in his questioning of McCrory. It's almost as if Judge Wingate was trying to protect the acceptance of the guilty plea from a future motion to withdraw it. Pages 42-47 of the transcript show McCrory confessing to his crime in no uncertain terms:
THE COURT: Have you had enough time to discuss you case with your lawyer?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Are you satisfied with the amount of time he's spent with you?
THE DEFENDANT: I am.
THE COURT: Are you satisfied with his advice to you?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: If you have any complaints about the way he has handled your case, you need to tell me now. Do you have any complaints about the way he has handled your case?
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
THE COURT: You've already paid that. All right. Is there anything about what I've gone over that generates any question in your mind that you wish to discussion?
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir, no.
THE COURT: We still have a ways to go. So if you have any question make sure you ask. All right?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Now, are you offering your plea voluntarily?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Has anybody forced you today to plead guilty?
THE DEFENDANT: No sir.
THE COURT: Mr. McCrory, did you hear what Mr. Hurst had to say?The relevant pages of the transcript posted below are 8,9, 14, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 35, 36, 42-47 (Very important to read).
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Do you disagree with any of his statement?
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
THE COURT: So then with regard to this count 23, I'd like to hear in your words what makes you guilty of the accusations of Count 23.
THE DEFENDANT: Your Honor, Mr. Epps talked me into making that first payment on his house and it took a month to persuade me to do it, but I did it. And then it was just gone from there seems like. It's something I never thought that I would do, but I did it. So, you know, I can't take it back, but that's how it started.
THE COURT: So then with regard to making these payments to Mr. Epps, did you do that?
THE DEFENDANT: I did.
THE COURT: And the prosecution says that you were directed at times where to make the payment. Did you do that?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, I was.
THE COURT: And sums of money that the prosecution read off, are those the sums that were involved?
THE DEFENDANT: The $3 million that were paid to my companies that wasn't profit that I put in my pocket. That was operating restitution centers for DOC, which I ended up losing about $200,000 in. And in exchange for the lease, I donated all the property back to the state. So I mean they kind of
broke even on that one. So I mean they kind of broke even on that one.
THE COURT: What about the consultation matter?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir. I was paid by companies who got contracts here.
THE COURT: All right. The prosecution says that you derived some 2 or $3 million from that.
THE DEFENDANT: From consulting?
THE COURT: Yes.
THE DEFENDANT: Over a period of time I would say that's probably right.
THE COURT: Okay. So then this conduct, did that amount to a bribe?
THE DEFENDANT: This conduct?
THE COURT: Yes, the conduct we're talking about now,would you describe it then as the prosecution does as the bribe and kickback?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: And with regard to any defense for that conduct, do you have a legal defense for that conduct?
THE DEFENDANT: Not one that I can think of.
THE COURT: And you discussed this matter thoroughly with your lawyer?
THE DEFENDANT: I have.
THE COURT: So then now with regard to Count 23, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?
THE DEFENDANT: I plead guilty, Your Honor.
11 comments:
It's a different kind of reality for Cecil.
It's his bacon what's done fallen in the fire.
(Does anyone else see the irony in this part of the disputed guilty plea? The state kind of broke even on the restitution centers thanks to well was it because of Epps, McCrory etal?):
THE DEFENDANT: The $3 million that were paid to my companies that wasn't profit that I put in my pocket. That was operating restitution centers for DOC, which I ended up losing about $200,000 in. And in exchange for the lease, I donated all the property back to the state. So I mean they kind of
broke even on that one. So I mean they kind of broke even on that one.
[/insert "Price is Right" loser music here].
this is a normal plea colloquy; Wingate simply doing his job...
Cecil would probably get down on all fours and bark like a dog for the tv cameras if he thought it would keep him from bunking with Big Bubba.
Wouldn't we all?
You people better look out;
MONEY LAUNDERING; Taking money out of one account and putting in another account to pay a bill.
I'm sure some of you people out there have moved money from one account to another to pay a bill or a debt. I bet 99.9% of the people who reads these post have done that some time in their life.
So you can be GULITY of money laundering
11:48 Don't insult this site's readers with your ignorance unless you are the one (or one of those) indicted.
11:48 that is simply stupid
11:48 No I am not one of the indicted.
That's what the government says about money laundering
Please explain 11:48 how moving money from a savings to a checking account is money laundering. Washing a $5 bill in my jeans is a better definition than that.
Well, it looks like Mr. Tanner smeared the man who is about to become U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.
What a moron.
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