Post by CMF Newsman on Jun 11, 2007 9:11:51 GMT -5
A Federal Court jury took less than an hour on Friday afternoon to find state Sen. Jerry Cooper not guilty of bank fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy.
The charges grew out of Sen. Cooper’s sale of a lumber mill in 1999 to Alabama businessman Tony Auyer and his wife, Teresa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Humble told jurors that Cooper, who was deep in debt, used his political connections to push through what everybody now agrees was a bad loan.
But defense attorney Jerry Summers, representing Cooper, said his client was targeted because he is in politics.
www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_108621.asp