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Daily Journal reports that the Bureau of Prisons says it’s not likely one of their charges is just wandering around loose.

February 25th, 2009 @ 3:08 pm - by NMC · 36 Comments

Patsy Brumfield, noting that an “internet site was speculating” otherwise [sigh], talks to someone at the Bureau of Prisons and reports:

Zach Scruggs,… is out of federal prison and assigned to a community re-entry facility in Tupelo.

An earlier report, which said he was in Montgomery, Ala., was not accurate. Inmates in the Tupelo center technically are under Montgomery’s jurisdiction, and that’s why on the Bureau of Prison’s web site it shows him there.   …Aug. 19 is his projected release date….

Cheryl Dennings with BOP in Atlanta said Scruggs was moved Tuesday from a low-security prison in Forrest City, Ark. to Tupelo as he prepares to “transition” back into society.

As soon as he finds a job and gets various other details approved, like driving a car, he will work away from the center and return each night.

Although an Internet site speculated Scruggs may have been seen in Oxford on Tuesday, Dennings said that wasn’t likely since she believes he was brought to Tupelo directly from Arkansas.

Dennings also said she isn’t aware the former attorney has a job yet, and working out the details likely will take a couple of weeks.

Filed Under: Herald & Examiner

36 Responses so far ↓

  1. scandaljunkie says:

    Hey, maybe they stopped in Oxford for a bite to eat before heading to Tupelo. A man’s gotta eat, right?
    At least it said “speculating” – right? No one said it was an undisputed fact – but it turns out as with anything else these days – there are half truths out there floating around all the time.

  2. mississippiman says:

    Maybe Mike Moore needs a paralegal.

  3. lotus says:

    scandaljunkie may have just aligned the whole scenario for us, wot?

  4. lotus says:

    Maybe Mike Moore needs a paralegal.

    Poifeck!

  5. ThirdSouth says:

    Wearing a yellow tie? Tossing beads? Patching up with Judge Biggers over a Grey Goose and tonic at City Grocery?

  6. ccvz says:

    Did I read somewhere that speculated he may be headed to DC to work w/ ‘Uncle Trent’?

  7. lotus says:

    Yep, that was in my morning post, ceece — note: as a post-release, not immediate, deal. If I could reveal my source’s source, you might agree that this eventuality is worth watching for longer-term.

  8. NMC says:

    I got the same email, and it was from someone I count as reliable, but it said they had a source who got it from another source, and no names were given (only a modicum of personal identification).

    The first question about sources is whether they are in a position to know.

    Is this someone with first hand information? (it’s not– your source got it from another source, by your own notes). Is your source’s source even someone with first-hand information? Not that either, if it’s the same email.

    Who would have access to first hand information about the Bureau of Prisons, who was walking around in Oxford, and job prospects among Scruggs family members? Too many dots for one source to connect, sounds to me. This is coming from community talk, which may be a great way to get a heads up and start seeking verification, but not something to post without more, I wouldn’t think.

    The working definition of an urban legend is someone saying they heard something at this number of removes from an eyewitness. The inflexible law of entropy and the game of gossip both tell us that something transmitted this many times will have been substantially changed in transmission. Thus we probably got Zach Scruggs wandering the streets of Oxford, when he’d really just been sentenced to live for a bit in Tupelo.

    I might post “Zach Scruggs was seen on the streets of Oxford” if a reliable source told me they saw him. I would not post “I got an email that someone (unnamed) heard from another (also unnamed) source that Zach Scruggs was walking the streets of Oxford.”

  9. lotus says:

    Very good, NMC, but I still think scandaljunkie’s 1 probably explains the whole thing. On the drive from Forrest City to Tupelo, Zach (master manipulator that he is) sold his guards on stopping in Oxford to eat. Folks saw him on the Square. Bingo.

  10. NMC says:

    your sense of “probable” involves far more improbability than mine. The key word in scandaljunkie’s 1 is the word “speculating.”

  11. NMC says:

    BTW, have you ever talked to anyone about how the BoP transports prisoners? They don’t take it casually.

  12. lotus says:

    Awright, NMC, if you’re this determined that your interpretation is the only one worthwhile, clearly there’s no point to offering an alternative possibility. Whatevs.

  13. Dragoman says:

    ThirdSouth @5: Good one.

  14. BoynamedSioux says:

    I can assure you the BOP or whoever was transporting Zachy didn’t stop in Oxford for a meal on the Square. He’s an incarcerated federal prisoner until signed in to the halfway house. Which means shackled when outside the prison.

    Zachy’s sentence made him eligible for a “split sentence” which means to serve one half in the real joint and the second half in a half-way house. No special treatment going on. Nothing to see here folks. Move on.

  15. ThirdSouth says:

    Regarding Zach’s job search: Maybe P L Blake’s hiring.

  16. BoynamedSioux says:

    More like fast food or WalMart for his brief time in Tupelo.

  17. lotus says:

    Pity the customers.

  18. ThirdSouth says:

    Maybe they’ll put him in charge of napkins.

  19. ThirdSouth says:

    Or maybe, when he gets to Washinton, Uncle Trent will fix him up with one or more of these companies, all of which need lobbyists: http://www.matik.com/pdf/napkins.pdf

  20. ThirdSouth says:

    I bet some folks in Tupelo, pondering the arrival of Zach, are thinking, as Pam said here January 17th, “Keep pulling the flush handle until all the turds are gone.”

  21. lthorn says:

    Here’s the bottom line…regardless of where he is, someone more than likely sang a pretty song for “home boy” to get back close to mama

  22. lthorn says:

    Now, who wants to play “Name That Tune”?

  23. advocate says:

    I am sure that Zach was housed in the minimum securty camp at Forrest City. These inmates, when eligible for the half-way house are allowed to be transported by privite vehicle or they put you on a bus. His mother, or his wife more than likely. He whould have a time to report in Tupelo, which gave enough time to have lunch in Oxford.Zach proberly never had the pleasure of handcufs and shakles.

  24. iwannaknow says:

    has anyone raised the possibility that zach is out because of dickie’s plea deal – dad will fully co-operate if son is given a get out of jail free pass? i don’t remember hearing/reading anything about this from dickie’s 2nd plea, but it seems strange to me that zach is eligible to be out so soon. that said i do very, very little criminal work, and zero in federal court. maybe this is the norm. thoughts?

  25. NMC says:

    He’s eligible for an in a half-way house in Tupelo as of day before yesterday.

  26. UM JDMBA says:

    The notion that Zach was on the Square Tuesday is not mere rumor. I was on the Square Tuesday for lunch, and Zach was walking around with his wife, kids, and mother. (No handcuffs, leg irons, or police escorts).

    They went upstairs into the old law firm – not sure if he grabbed a bite to eat or not…

  27. lotus says:

    Hokey-smoke, UM JDMBA! What time was this? Where were you watching from?

  28. UM JDMBA says:

    It would have been about 12:45 or so. I was coming out of Ajax just as he was walking by.

  29. lotus says:

    Day-am. Thank you very much. Somebody’s got big splaining to do (and I don’t mean my huffin-puffin co-blogger).

  30. GunsRGood says:

    Non-violent offenders almost always get a “Furlough” when transporting to a new facility. Zach did not get special treatment. It is also standard during an approved furlough that an inmate be allowed to have a meal and it matters not where or with whom. It shouldn’t even be blog worthy. It is lunch. Further, most inmates recieve a halfway house appointment with 6 months left in a sentence. The BoP lists Zach’s release date as August 19th, so do the math and subract 6 months. Its not special treatment and certainly had nothing to do with his father. This has been in the works for weeks and again, it is STANDARD. Zach is following the rules and nothing less. So, please people, think about your own family, regardless of your feelings or emotions toward this family. Zach has a wife and three small children, all they want to do is be with him and see him. Life is too short, Im sure you can understand and give them some peace. And I hope good and well that President Obama doesn’t take your guns away…..better stock up!

  31. lotus says:

    Thanks, GRG. Funny how some experts weren’t aware of this but indeed were vociferously averse to the mere possibility.

  32. Plexix says:

    No one in this country is going to have their guns taken away from them. No one. It is not going to happen. Any talk to the contrary is delusional and / or designed to whip up fear and paranoia.

  33. UM JDMBA says:

    Somewhat related to GRG’s post, I was not trying to give commentary on whether it was “right” or “wrong” – I was merely trying to set the record straight.

  34. lotus says:

    delusional and / or designed to whip up fear and paranoia

    Ah, that crowd’s specialty!

  35. lotus says:

    MUCH obliged, UM JDMBA 33.

  36. dmwriter says:

    UM JDMBA – Can I ask you a question? please email me at ppquinn84@gmail.com