Larry Langford, former Jefferson County commissioner in jail on pay-to-play charges related to the county’s defaulted sewer financings, has been denied a request for early release because he says that he is dying.
Various Alabama media recently reported that he had died.
However, the Birmingham News said it had contacted Langford via email as well as talked with his wife and attorney to verify that Langford says he is alive but ill, and that he was rejected for early compassionate release.
Langford reportedly has refused to disclose his illness, and has said that it is fatal.
Langford, who orchestrated the sale of the county’s $3.2 billion of now-failed sewer warrants, is serving a 15-year prison sentence in Kentucky on his 61-count conviction for bribery, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, and filing a false tax return.
He has maintained his innocence, and exhausted all appeals of his conviction.
At the time he was indicted, Langford was mayor of Birmingham.
