State rep pleads guilty to money laundering

By BILL RANKINThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 03/18/08
State Rep. Ron Sailor on Tuesday pleaded guilty to laundering what he believed to be $375,000 in drug money for an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer.
Sailor, 33, a Democrat who represents parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, agreed to resign his position in the legislature. Shortly after his arrest three months ago, Sailor admitted his wrongdoing and began providing information for a public corruption investigation.

"It is an active and ongoing investigation," U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said after the guilty plea. Sailor provided "useful information in opening windows into public corruption we were unaware of before his cooperation."
Sailor was arrested by federal agents at a metro Atlanta hotel on Dec. 19, after taking what he believed to be $300,000 in cash from a drug dealer, who actually was an undercover officer.
Sailor entered his negotiated plea before U.S. District Judge Jack Camp, who will sentence Sailor on May 22. Sailor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison but is expected to get credit for his cooperation with authorities, his lawyer, Bruce Maloy, said after the plea.
Money laundering involves structuring financial transactions to conceal the source of funds.
"I was desperate for money and in my desperation I did business with a person I believed was a drug dealer," Sailor told Camp in court. "I offered to launder money for this individual to make money for myself to try to get out of debt. ... I have tried to make amends for my conduct."
In a joint statement, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) and House Minority Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) said, "Our credibility and trust is all we have, and it's sad when that trust is broken. This is an unfortunate matter where the public trust is broken."
Smyre said he and Porter learned about the plea before the General Assembly convened Tuesday. "It's something that pains all of us," Smyre said.
"I am disappointed in the bad decisions made by Representative Sailor," House Speaker Glenn Richardson said. "The House of Representatives does not condone his actions."
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/03/18/sailor_0318.html