BRADENTON, Fla. — Larry Langford, convicted on 60 bond-related corruption felony charges late Wednesday, was removed from office as Birmingham’s mayor.
A jury in Tuscaloosa, Ala., took less than two hours to convict Langford after an eight-day trial stemming from Langford’s tenure as president of the Jefferson County Commission, when $3.2 billion of sewer debt was refinanced. He later became mayor of Birmingham.
Langford faces the possibility of more than 800 years in prison for bribery, fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and filing false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler said Langford must forfeit $241,843.65, but allowed Langford to remain free on bond pending a sentencing hearing.
“We will appeal it,” Langford said in a press conference before leaving the courthouse.
Federal prosecutors said that Langford took $236,000 in gifts and money from Montgomery bond dealer Bill Blount and their mutual friend, lobbyist Al LaPierre. In return, Langford made sure that Blount was included on many of Jefferson County’s bond and swap deals and his firm, Blount Parrish & Co., received $7 million in fees.
Langford, Blount, and LaPierre were indicted at the same time late last year. But shortly before their trial was to begin Oct. 19, Blount and LaPierre pleaded guilty to several of the dozens of counts pending against them. That left Langford to face the jury alone and Blount and LaPierre testified that they gave Langford money and gifts to influence him.
Langford did not blame Blount or LaPierre for his conviction, he said, because they were friends and he never asked them for anything. He also said his attorneys were competent.
However, Langford said the 12-member jury, which had only three African Americans, was not a jury of his peers and that “racism played a part” in his conviction. He also blamed the media for being unfair.
Following Langford’s conviction, Birmingham City Council president Carole Smitherman became interim mayor until a special mayoral election can be scheduled in the next 45 days.
Langford is among dozens of elected officials and county employees indicted and convicted of crimes related to Jefferson County’s debt-laden sewer system. Former county commissioner Mary Buckelew, who pleaded guilty last year to accepting gifts from Blount, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12. LaPierre will be sentenced Nov. 19 and Blount will be sentenced Dec. 17.
“These kinds of convictions don’t have to happen,” Gov. Bob Riley said in response to Langford’s conviction. “We must finally pass anti-corruption laws that will bring accountability and transparency to state and local governments so we can prevent this very kind of situation.”
Riley, who is term limited out of office after next year, is proposing a number of reform measures that he expects the Legislature to consider next year. He has called his effort a “war on corruption” in Alabama.
