July 27th 2024.
John Rogers, a long-standing lawmaker in the Alabama House, is facing a potential sentence in federal prison. It seems that Rogers may have violated his plea agreement, which he had previously entered into for misusing Jefferson County tax dollars during his time in office.
Rogers' term as a lawmaker came to an end after he pleaded guilty to participating in a kickback scheme at the federal level. The case involved the Jefferson County Community Action Fund, which was created to support local students by using increased taxes to fund new school construction. Unfortunately, it was discovered that Rogers, along with fellow state lawmakers Fred Plump and Varrie Johnson Kindall, took advantage of the fund for their own personal gain.
As part of the scheme, the state senators directed a portion of the grant money to Plump's youth baseball league, called Piper Davis, over several years. Plump would then give nearly half of the grant proceeds back to Rogers and Kindall, who would cash the money through checks. In the end, Rogers agreed to a plea agreement that included a 14-month sentence with house arrest.
However, recent court records show that Rogers may have breached this plea agreement, and now prosecutors are pushing for him to serve the remainder of his sentence in federal prison. In fact, they argue that Rogers' actions have not only harmed the community, but also other worthy charities. They state that instead of using the fund's money to support inner city children learning to play baseball, Rogers used $200,000 to support himself and his lover.
As part of his plea agreement, Rogers was supposed to serve his sentence in home confinement and plead guilty to his role in the kickback scheme. However, it appears that he may have convinced Kindall to take full responsibility for the scheme and falsely claim that he was not involved. In exchange, Rogers promised to pay her mortgage and take care of her children while she served her sentence. Despite this, Rogers' defense attorney has filed an objection, stating that Rogers has no memory of making such a promise.
Prosecutors argue that this objection is a breach of the plea agreement and that Rogers should serve his sentence in prison instead of at home. Rogers' next sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 30, and the government has already requested that he pay nearly $400,000 in restitution and forfeiture fees. It remains to be seen what the outcome of this case will be, but it is clear that Rogers' actions have had a significant impact on the community and those involved.
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