Aide to Rep. Alcee Hastings convicted of conspiracy, fraud, money laundering; lawyer vows appeal
by George Bennett | November 7th, 2011
Jones
Jones, 55, who lives in Boynton Beach, received a $78,578 salary in 2010 as a top local aide to Hastings while also running a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia.
Jones was convicted of conspiracy, money laundering, 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of mail fraud. His wife, Dona Nichols Jones, 54, was convicted of conspiracy, money laundering, and 14 counts of wire fraud.
Mikel Jones was acquitted of several similar charges involving money his law firm obtained from the city of Philadelphia. His wife was not charged in those counts. Jones’ law firm received a $150,000 loan from the city and a “multimillion-dollar line of credit” from the private New York fund, according to the FBI.
Sentencing has been set for Feb. 7.
Jones attorney David Garvin said this afternoon that “I’m sure that he’s going to appeal because in my opinion there was a lack of evidence that he did anything wrong.”
Hastings
Hastings in July called Jones a “top-flight congressional aide” and “my friend,” but said the charges against Jones had nothing to do with his congressional office and he knew nothing about them.
Today Hastings issued this terse statement:
“Today, I learned that Mikel Jones was found guilty of certain charges against in him in the United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is no longer employed by my Congressional office.”
According to the FBI, Jones obtained a the line of credit from New York-based lender Stillwater for business expenses associated with his law firm. But the FBI said Jones and his wife used a shell company and fraudulent invoices to obtain more than $350,000 for nonexistent expenses. The FBI said the couple “used the fraudulently taken business-loan funds to pay off personal credit card debts and to buy 76ers basketball tickets.”
Tags: Mikel Jones
November 7th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Oh My! Oh My! Oh My!
What an overwhelming and total shock that must have been to others in this group.
Their inept stumbling web of nonsense and corruption has been going on for at least 50 years. Sister Maxine Waters must be aghast as well!
What a laughable bunch of numbnutz.
November 7th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
And Alcee Hastings, appointed by President Jimmy Carter, was IMPEACHED by his OWN democrat party for bribery and perjury by a vote of 413-3.
Because of jerrymandering under the guise of minority district this guy gets elected over and over and over again.
The black community doesn’t have any other black to run for this office.
It’s this impeached former judge.
Certainly doesn’t speak well of the judgement by the voting black public.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
So Hastings staff gets caught and Wexlers staffers get away with it. Throw them all away.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Hey Diana…Wexlers staffers are helping Democrats loose so we can’t have them in jail yet.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:08 pm
http://www.browardbulldog.org/category/politics/
Here it is with one of Wexlers staffers that were caught…..a few more to go and Aaronson too!
November 8th, 2011 at 1:39 am
Can this possibly surprise anyone?
Heck, he probably got legal advice about whether this was ok from his boss, the former federal judge who got impeached and sent down.
November 8th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
HASTINGS IS CORRUPT TO THE CORE!
I live in his district, I tried to call him 47 times about labor corruption in the Hotel Employees Union, he refused to speak with me at all.
He takes money from them so even if they have a mafia goon running the local he doesn’t care as long as they pay him.
November 8th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
The surprise is that this guy has avoided jail for so long.
November 8th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
You got that right, Yawn!