Bribery case ends for Massey in prison

Ala. lobbyist surrenders to serve corruption term

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former casino lobbyist Jarrod Massey became the first person to go to prison in Alabama's gambling corruption case when he turned himself in Wednesday to get an early start on a sentence that won't be determined until after he testifies against two powerful gaming developers.

Massey had no comment as he and his wife walked into the federal courthouse to surrender to U.S. marshals. She emerged 10 minutes later, choking back tears.

Asked by The Associated Press about the effect of the case on her family, Sharon Massey said: "You can't imagine."

Massey was one of 11 people arrested in October on charges of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation. Besides the developers, the defendants included two other lobbyists and four present and former legislators.

Massey, who lobbied for the Country Crossing casino in Dothan, pleaded guilty last month to bribery and conspiracy charges involving $1 million offers to some legislators to support a pro-gambling bill. He agreed to help federal prosecutors at the April trial of the other 10 defendants.

In an unusual move last week, he got permission from a federal judge to begin his punishment before his official sentencing in September. Massey filed court papers seeking the early imprisonment because he expects a significant sentence.

A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons was uncertain where Massey would be assigned.

Massey, 39, was once one of the most visible lobbyists in Montgomery, with multiple clients, dapper attire, and an effervescent personality. His company's website portrayed him as "a veteran political insider" who was adept at "leveraging available assets" and had "access to key decision makers."

His largest client, Country Crossing, was a resort development near the Alabama-Florida line that offered electronic bingo machines, restaurants, a concert amphitheater, RV park and inn resembling the old TV show "Petticoat Junction." Several well-known country music entertainers, including George Jones, Tracy Lawrence and Darryl Worley, were involved in the development and joined Massey in Montgomery to support the pro-gambling legislation.

None of the entertainers was accused of any wrongdoing.

Massey was the second person from his firm, Mantra Governmental, to plead guilty in the case and agree to cooperate with prosecutors. Jennifer Pouncy, who also lobbied for Country Crossing, pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to offer bribes to legislators to support gambling legislation. She is scheduled for sentencing in August.

Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and one of the investors in his resort project, VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor, are among the 10 awaiting trial, along with VictoryLand lobbyists Bob Geddie and Tom Coker. All have pleaded not guilty.

The casinos at Country Crossing and VictoryLand, 15 miles east of Montgomery, attracted tourists from several Southern states until they closed last year under pressure from the governor's gambling task force. The task force argued that the casinos' electronic bingo machines not only had the flashing lights and sound effects of slot machines, they were illegal slots.

In Massey's plea agreement, Massey described meetings and phone calls involving Gilley and McGregor as they sought to pass legislation designed to let their casinos keep operating the highly profitable machines. He admitted offering $1 million each to two legislators and smaller amounts to three other legislators, as well as authorizing Pouncy to make a $2 million offer.

Massey could receive up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on his one conspiracy plea and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of his five bribery pleas.