GEORGE E. B. HOLDING
CONTACT: 919/856-4530
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday - July 11, 2007
BLACK SENTENCED TO 63 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT
RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E. B. Holding announced that JAMES BOYCE BLACK, a/k/a Jim Black, was sentenced in today in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina. U. S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced Black to 63 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, a $50,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. United States Attorney Holding said: “Today is the end of the line for Jim Black and his corruption. Speaker Black is going to prison for 63 months. He earned every day of it.
The length of his sentence is a clear and strong deterrent to those politicians or public servants who might be tempted to break the law. North Carolinians are not going to put up with a politician prostituting his power in deals so corrupt they have to be transacted in the restroom.”
BLACK pled guilty on February 15, 2007, to one felony count of corruptly accepting things of value concerning programs receiving federal funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B). The offense involved Black taking about $25,000 in cash, plus a $4000 check, in corrupt payments from three chiropractors who had an interest in legislative business, such as a provision passed in 2005, with BLACK’S support, that increased insurance co-payments for chiropractors. After BLACK’S guilty plea, the General Assembly repealed the provision on April 25, 2007.
BLACK pled guilty before Judge James C. Dever, III, but later moved to recuse Judge Dever. On June 5, 2007, Judge Dever denied the motion, but announced that he was recusing himself on his own motion. The case was then randomly assigned to Judge Boyle for sentencing.
The Criminal Information does not allege wrongdoing by any person other than BLACK.
The criminal investigation is being conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation Division, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Office of Wake County District Attorney C. Colon Willoughby, Jr. First Assistant U. S. Attorney John Stuart Bruce and Assistant U. S. Attorney Dennis M. Duffy are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Special Agent in Charge Nathan Thomas Gray of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, stated:"Although public corruption will never be totally eradicated, the FBI stands committed to working with the citizens of this great country, this great state, and our partners in law enforcement to ensure that public servants serve the public good."
Special Agent in Charge Charles E. Hunter of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division said: “Public corruption touches everyone. Mr. Black’s greed motivated him to abuse his office and erode public confidence. He disgraced himself, his office and the great State of North Carolina. IRS-CI is serious about making elected officials accountable for their actions.”
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper stated: “This is a dark day in North Carolina’s history, but it does show the importance of cooperation between state and federal authorities in restoring public integrity to our government,”
“Though it was a complex and difficult assignment, our agents worked tirelessly with federal prosecutors and investigators to find the truth,” said North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Robin Pendergraft.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
