A federal judge in Birmingham Monday delayed the sentencing of Montgomery bond dealer William Blount and Alabama lobbyist Albert LaPierre. Both men pleaded guilty last year to pay-to-play charges related to Jefferson County’s troubled sewer debt and were scheduled to be sentenced today.
However, Judge Scott Coogler agreed to their requests for more time to respond to pre-sentencing reports. They now will be sentenced Feb. 26.
Blount and LaPierre, along with former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford, were named in a 101-count federal indictment in late 2008 on charges that included conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. Blount and LaPierre pleaded guilty to a handful of charges before trial last year.
Before becoming Birmingham’s mayor, Langford was on the Jefferson County Commission and helped mastermind the now-problematic sewer financings. On Oct. 28, he was convicted on 60 federal charges related to gifts and money he received for directing bond business to Blount.
Langford has filed a motion for a new trial. His sentencing is scheduled for March 5.
