OKLAHOMA CITY —
U.S. District Judge Robin J. Cauthron Tuesday sentenced former Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan, 57, to serve five years’ probation for bribery.
In addition to serving five years of probation, Morgan was ordered to forfeit $12,000. Sanford C. Coats, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, said the sentencing was part of one of the most significant public corruption cases in this district in decades.
“While this was not the sentence for which we advocated, the determination of sentencing in federal court is within the discretion of the Judge,” Coats said. “Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI remain committed as ever to the pursuit of public corruption cases and holding accountable any public officials who abuse their positions for personal gain.”
Coats commended the assistant U.S. attorneys and FBI special agents for their extraordinary work in this long and complex investigation and prosecution.
The government alleged three different schemes.
On March 5, 2012, the federal jury found Morgan guilty of bribery on one scheme, acquitted him on one scheme, and could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third scheme.
According to evidence at trial on the scheme in which he was convicted Morgan, an attorney, accepted payments from a business that owned assisted-living centers, disguised as legal fees, in exchange for favorable treatment in the Legislature.
Evidence at trial showed that Morgan took 12 $1,000 bribe payments disguised as legal fees in 2006 and 2007 from Silver Oak Senior Living Center. Evidence showed that Silver Oak had been at odds with the Oklahoma Department of Health, which was attempting to impose regulations on assisted-living facilities.
In exchange for the bribe payments, evidence showed that Morgan authored Senate Bill 738, which became law at the end of the 2007 session and helped Silver Oak by lifting some of its regulatory burdens.
Local News
Ex-Okla. Senate leader receives 5 years probation
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UPDATE: Tornado touches portions of Edmond
Roger Williams and his wife Shellie, residents in Edmond’s Thornbrooke neighborhood since 2004, were watching the weather reports Sunday as a large storm approached the city.
When they heard reports that a tornado was spotted near Broadway and 15th Street, then Broadway and 33rd Street, the couple and their son Ethan, 11, took cover in a reinforced interior closet. After they closed the door it got eerily quiet, like being in the eye of a hurricane, Roger said. As the tornado passed by, they could hear a few bangs outside.
“I was kind of scared,” Ethan said. -
SLIDESHOW: Tornado strikes I-35 area of Edmond
A violent tornado ripped trees out of the ground as it dropped into southern Edmond late Sunday afternoon along areas east and west of Interstate 35 from 15th Street to 33rd Street, according to various reports. Damage in Edmond is confirmed by the city and included blown out windows at the brand new Mercy I-35 facility that was scheduled to open later this year. Hail also peppered northwest Edmond during the violent storm event.
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The Big One
It’s a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people are homeless.
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City plans to hire downtown consultant
Conceptual ideas about how the City of Edmond may plan for downtown development were shared this week by David Forrest with members of the business community.
The Central Edmond Urban Development Board has revisited plans made in a 1998 Downtown Master Plan through public meetings and presentations to protect the future development of Broadway. Recommendations by the group will be taken into account by future city councils. -
Feds recommend changing legal alcohol content levels
During the past 15 years alcohol contributed to a third of highway deaths prompting the government this week to recommend reducing state Blood Alcohol Content limits from .08 to .05 or lower.
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St. Mary’s Episcopal School names new Head of School
Pamela Dockter will become the new Head of School at St. Mary’s Episcopal School effective July 1.
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Local girl receives crown
Audrianna Page Fredericks recently was crowned Miss Junior Teen Oklahoma United States 2013.
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‘Locker Hooking’ workshop offers instruction in durable, useful crafting technique
Residents who would like to learn how to use the “locker hooking” technique to make one-of-a-kind items for use in the home or for decoration are invited to attend the “Locker Hooking” Workshop Tuesday from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Oklahoma County OSU Cooperative Extension Service.
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‘Healthy Cooking With Spices and Herbs’ focus of OSU Extension workshop
As Americans try harder to improve their diets by decreasing fat and sugar, the challenge to make dishes tasty as well as healthy becomes that much more important.
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5-18 Calendar
The Edmond Senior Center, 2733 Marilyn Williams Drive, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. F or information about Edmond senior programs, stop by and pick up a monthly calendar, check out the Web site at edmondseniorcenter.com or call 216-7600.
Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and reservations are needed a day in advance by 11 a.m. For lunch reservations, call at 330-6293 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - More Local News Headlines
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