By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. — A businessman and former lawmaker will spend 8½ years in prison for crimes related to bribing Mississippi’s former corrections commissioner.
U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate handed down the sentence against Cecil McCrory Friday.
McCrory, a Brandon resident pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in February 2015, in relation to $40,000 in cash that he took from Epps, disguised as proceeds from a tractor sale, and wired back to the prison chief.
A onetime member of the state House, McCrory has said he paid off Epps’ mortgage after the commissioner approved McCrory’s plans to sell his prison commissary business.
After that, Epps steered contracts to McCrory, with McCrory kicking back a share of the profits. A total of six people have pleaded guilty in the bribery scheme.