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The monetary fine to be paid by Cecil McCrory, a Brandon businessman who admitted he bribed former Mississippi prisons chief Christopher Epps and helped him launder money, has been reduced from $150,000 to $20,000.
U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate lowered the amount Wednesday after McCrory testified Wednesday that his debts outweigh his assets and he doesn’t have enough money to pay the higher amount, the Associated Press reports.
Wingate ruled that McCrory should start making fine payments while he is in prison, and be required to pay at least $150 a month once he is released. McCrory, a former state lawmaker, was sentenced in February to serve 8½ years.
McCrory was supposed to report to prison April 4, but he remains free on bail so he can testify in lawsuits brought by Attorney General Jim Hood that seek to recover money paid to prison contractors in cases where bribes changed hands, AP says.
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This is too often the result of clever, highly-paid attorneys and gullible judges. The amount of Mr. McCrory’s legal fees compared to his fine cannot be justified.