Pine Bluff Alderman found guilty in federal trial
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
A jury in Pine Bluff has found a city Alderman guilty of extortion. The verdict against Jack Foster came Friday afternoon. District Judge James M. Moody will sentence Foster after a presentencing investigation. The maximum sentence for extortion is 20 years in prison and a 250-thousand-dollar fine. Investor Wilson McDougal gave Foster $5,000 dollars in exchange for a favorable zoning vote. Foster took the witness stand Thursday and said he didn`t ask for any money.
Foster said he did talk to McDougal about money troubles of another alderman at the time, Billy Freeman. Freeman pleaded guilty to a federal extortion count and was expected to provide testimony against Foster as a part of a plea deal, but the government rested its case without calling him to the stand. Freeman`s plea deal delayed his own sentencing until after Foster`s trial. Foster said he told McDougal that he needed to help Foster deal with a 71-thousand dollar bounced check so he wouldn`t get in trouble.
