Sentencing for Alabama Schools chancellor Roy Johnson postponed...again
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Posted: Sunday, April 18, 2010
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Roy W. Johnson has a distinguished background. He was born on December 31, 1945, in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. He is married to Linda Walby Johnson and they have two children, Malinda Johnson Morgan and Steve Johnson.
His educational history includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Alabama in 1969. A Master of Arts in Public School Administration from the University of Alabama in 1972, plus additional graduate work in Public School Administration also from the same University.
He was elected to the Alabama House of representatives where he served from 1974 to 1990. He also served as a secondary school principal from 1976 to 1990.
He served with the Alabama Education Association from 1990 to 1991.
He was president of Opelika State Technical College from 1992 to 1993.
He was appointed Chancellor of the Alabama College System on July 1, 2002 where he served until the present problems arose.
In 2006, the Alabama Attorney General's office was conducting an investigation of the school system upon accusations of bribery and corruption, and specifically in the activities of chancellor Johnson. Here is a segment of news item dated November 26, 2006:
Now consider yesterday's news about Troy King and Roy Johnson:The problem progressed until federal agents became involved and it became a federal investigation. According to U.S. Attorney Alice Martin, Johnson was involved in a corruption scheme which tapped Alabama taxpayers as much as $18.3 million. Which would qualify for as much as life in prison.
"Alabama Attorney General Troy King asked Roy Johnson late last year to hire a friend's mother while King's office was investigating the state's two-year college system and Johnson, its chancellor."
Bribery? Remember, the jury is allowed to infer the corrupt intent. In this situation you have King leading an investigation into Johnson's actions as chancellor and then asking Johnson for a personal favor. Imagine how a mouse would feel when the cat under whose paws he lies asks the mouse for a favor, and you will get some sense of Johnson's position. I think a jury could infer that either King used the prosecution as a carrot, promising to slack off if Johnson hired the friend, or else he used it as a stick, threatening to increase the intensity unless Johnson hired the friend. (alablawg.wordpress.com)
After several months of investigation by the feds, Johnson agreed to a plea deal of guilty to 15 counts of bribery, conspiracy, obstruction, witness tampering and money laundering, in mid January, 2008.
Johnson's son, Steve, his daughter Malinda Morgan and her husband Greg Morgan, also were recipients of funds for employment on state jobs where minimal or no work or participation was involved. But, in his plea bargain, he stipulated that his children or their spouses not be prosecuted, which was agreed to by the negotiators.
On March 31, Roy Johnson pled guilty to the 15 counts and a sentencing hearing was set for August 20, 2008. However, the sentencing was postponed and has continued to be reset and postponed. The latest revision was that he was to be sentenced on April 27, 2010, but once again is postponed until June 22. The investigation is still ongoing and a number of individuals have become subjects of it.
For an extensive and detailed account of the beginning of this case you may reach it here.
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