Former Judge, Prosecutor Sentenced in NC

The AP reports:

A former U.S. attorney, state judge and state Republican chairman was sentenced to almost six years in federal prison on charges related to a tax fraud conspiracy, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Samuel T. Currin, 58, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to launder $1.45 million through his law firm's client trust account, as well as lying on his taxes by failing to report an offshore debit card account, prosecutors said.

Three others have been charged in the scheme.

Currin also pleaded guilty in a related case to obstructing a grand jury investigation into securities fraud, in which he conspired to withhold documents and provide false testimony, U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert said.

He faced 43 years in prison if convicted.

U.S. District Court Judge Earl Britt sentenced Currin on Tuesday to 70 months in prison.

Prosecutors said he and his conspirators sent out fraudulent promotional materials on several publicly traded Nevada companies. When stock prices and trading volumes increased, those in the scheme profited on the sale of the securities.

"Tens of millions of dollars in proceeds resulted from this scheme," according to court documents. Prosecutors said Currin received more than $280,000.

A message left at Currin's home was not immediately returned Wednesday. His attorney declined to comment.

Currin, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, was a U.S. attorney for the eastern district of North Carolina from 1981 to 1987. He was a state Superior Court judge from 1987 to 1990, and he was the state GOP chairman from 1996 to 1999.

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