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Patsy Brumfield at the Daily Journal writes about an order entered by Magistrate Judge Alexander involving the federal government’s seizure of $425,000 of Ed Peters’ ill-gotten gains from the effort to corruptly influence Judge DeLaughter.

After a heads up from Paul Quinn, and I told him a couple of Pacer tricks, we learn (from a complaint filed by the Northern District US Attorney on December 31st) that:

• After paying taxes and losing some money when the stock market went down, Ed Peters still had $425,000 left from his share of the money Dickie Scruggs paid him.
• The Marshals Service has the money now.
• Because the funds are the proceeds of “Wire Fraud” and “a ‘specified unlawful activity,’” it is subject to forfeiture.
• Ed Peters was “a member of a conspiracy to corruptly influence a sitting State of Mississippi Circuit Court Judge.” He was approached by Balducci, Patterson, and Langston “to reach an agreement whereby Peters would be paid to influence the judge” in an effort to obtain a ruling in a case in Hinds County. They reached an agreement “and the trio paid Peters $50,000.00 in cash as an initial payment…”  In a “reverse contingency agreement,” Langston was to make ongoing payments to Peters, which resulted in wire transfers that moved $950,000 into Peters’ Jackson bank account.
• The forfeiture complaint is verified by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Wright.

Magistrate Judge Alexander responded on January 6th with an order saying, in effect, sounds good to her, and the marshals are to continue to hold the funds and give anyone who claims them a chance to come in and assert their claims.

Here’s the forfeiture complaint, and here’s Magistrate Judge Alexander’s order.