Renzi indicted in theft extortion

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AM A black cloud that hovered over U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi for more than a year finally collapsed on the Arizona congressman Friday when he was indicted on counts of extortion embezzlement money laundering and other crimes. The year old Renzi once a rising Republican in the nation s capital now faces calls for resignation and a possible prison term and fines if he is convicted. He has already relinquished important committee assignments and announced he would not seek re election this year. Renzi could not be reached for comment. His attorneys in Washington D.C. issued a statement Friday saying Congressman Renzi did nothing wrong. We will fight these charges until he is vindicated and his family s name is restored. Democratic leaders and candidates issued a flurry of statements suggesting Renzi leave office. Some Republicans also chimed in among them House Minority Leader John Boehner R Ohio who said I strongly urge R! epresentative Renzi to seriously consider whether he can continue to effectively represent his constituents under these circumstances. The criminal counts handed up Thursday by a federal grand jury in Tucson stem from a tangle of suspected fraud involving business dealings campaign finances and legislative conduct. According to the government s case Renzi cheated and stole his way into office then abused his power to make money. If convicted Renzi could get up to years in prison on each of the most serious charges plus fines of . A business associate Texas real estate investor James W. Sandlin faces counts. Another associate Maryland attorney Andrew Beardall is charged with four offenses. Neither Sandlin nor his attorney could be reached for comment. Beardall s lawyer said his client did not intentionally violate any law. During a Phoenix news conference Diane Humetewa U.S. attorney for Arizona said all three men will receive summonses to appear at a March U.S. District Court arraignment in Tucson. She added that the indictments suggest Renzi ! betrayed the trust of the citizens of Arizona by misusing his office. According to court papers the congressman was a central figure in two conspiracies. In one he is accused of manipulating a federal land exchange to financially benefit himself and Sandlin a former business partner who owed him money. In the other the indictment says he looted cash from an insurance trust fund to help finance his first election campaign then attempted a cover up with Beardall s assistance. Went to Washington in Renzi was first elected to the sprawling st Congressional District in . After news of the investigation broke last year he gave up House posts on the Intelligence Natural Resources and Financial Services committees and announced plans to retire from office. Because of that the indictments did not catch the nation s capital by surprise. Sen. John McCain on the presidential campaign trail said he feels for Renzi s wife and children adding I don t know any of the facts in the case. . .! . I also have faith in the justice system. Renzi is listed among two dozen co chairs of McCain s Arizona campaign. McCain said Renzi may have to step down because he will be tied up with the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney s Office in collaboration with the Justice Department s Office of Public Integrity in Washington D.C. Amy Hess special agent in charge for the FBI in Tucson said agents put in more than hours during the probe which began with a tip in June . Illegal activities purported by our public officials . . . impact the very core of how our society is supposed to function she added. conspiracies suspected Allegations about the land exchange deal involve a labyrinth of business transactions between Renzi and his former partner Sandlin. According to the indictment the two men acquired real estate together in Kingman. In court papers say Sandlin bought out Renzi s interest for million paying down and signing a promissory note for the remaining . Two years later at a time when S! andlin still owed Renzi attempted to manipulate a federal land exchange by forcing participants to include property owned by Sandlin the indictment says. The initial transaction was to involve a property trade between the government and Resolution Copper Corp. The indictment says Renzi told representatives of a company previously identified as Resolution Copper and later another firm that he would not support any deal unless it included acres owned by Sandlin along the San Pedro River in southern Arizona. Court papers say Renzi told mining company officials No Sandlin property no bill. Resolution Copper rejected those terms. But in early the second company identified in earlier news reports as Preserve Petrified Forest Land Investors LLC of Las Vegas bought Sandlin s land for . million. Renzi had ensured a free pass on the necessary legislation the indictment says. Sandlin used that money to pay off his debt at a time when the congressman was in severe financial trouble the! records say. In addition to extortion Renzi is accused of concealing transactions from Congress and failing to list them in financial disclosure statements. Renzi and Sandlin also are charged with money laundering in connection with funds obtained through criminal conduct. Federal agents traced more than two dozen wire transfers and purchases including Sandlin s payment of for a boat. In a written statement Resolution Copper confirmed that it cooperated with federal investigators throughout the probe. The indictment involving Renzi s family business stems from efforts to finance his campaign in and . Prosecutors allege that Renzi embezzled more than in insurance premiums from Patriot Insurance Agency Inc. in Santa Cruz County. They say Renzi and Beardall made false statements about the theft to industry regulators federal elections officials and Congress. Beardall s attorney Lucius T. Outlaw III said in an e mail that his client committed no action with the intent to defraud the government or injure any party. Investigation s effects During t! he past year news stories suggested that investigators also were targeting Renzi in connection with legislation he supported in behalf of ManTech International Corp. a military contractor where his father retired Army Maj. Gen. Eugene Renzi worked as a top executive. The indictment contains no mention of ManTech or of Eugene Renzi who died earlier this month. News leaks about the grand jury probe helped fuel a partisan furor late last year over the ouster of Paul Charlton as U.S. attorney for Arizona. Some in Congress suggested that Charlton was ordered to resign by the Bush administration because he was investigating a Republican supporter of the president. Others complained that the case was being stonewalled or squelched for political reasons. In a statement issued Thursday Renzi lawyers Kelly B. Kramer and Reid H. Weingarten complained about repeated leaks in the face of strict grand jury secrecy rules. They also expressed concern that federal investigators were influen! ced by political considerations. Humetewa and Peter Ainsworth senior deputy chief of the Justice Department s Public Integrity Section declined to comment on those issues. However Humetewa lauded the work of FBI and IRS agents adding This indictment demonstrates a commitment by the Department of Justice to root out public corruption wherever it is found. Charlton who oversaw much of the investigation declined to talk about any politicization of the case which remains under review by Justice s inspector general. We will know some day what happened Charlton said adding I think you can t help but feel disappointment any time an official of this rank is indicted on these types of charges. Reporters Robert Anglen and Dan Nowicki contributed to this article. Rick Renzi indicted on charges more video enlarge image Rep. Rick Renzi R Ariz. speaks during a hearing on immigration issues in the Buena Performing Arts Center in Sierra Vista in this Aug. file photo. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Roberts Renzi should resign Secrecy scandal cloud Renzi era Renzi indictme! nt Timeline of events in Renzi case Rick Renzi indicted in Arizona land deal Northern Arizona reacts to Renzi indictment Election chaos if Renzi resigns Members of Congress charged with crimes recently Feb. Rep. Rick Renzi R Ariz. indicted on charges of extortion wire fraud money laundering and other crimes in an Arizona land swap that authorities say helped him collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in payoffs. June Rep. William Jefferson D La. indicted on federal charges of racketeering soliciting bribes and money laundering in a long running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa. Jan. Former Rep. Bob Ney R Ohio sentenced to years in prison for trading political favors for gifts and campaign donations from lobbyist Jack Abramoff. March Former Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham R Calif. sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. He collected . million in homes yachts antique furnishings and other bribes in a corruption scheme. Oct. Forme! r Rep. Tom DeLay R Texas charged with felony money laundering and conspiracy in connection with Republican fundraising efforts in . One charge has been dropped and two others are being argued before a state appeals court. Aug. Rep. William Janklow R S.D. charged with felony second degree manslaughter and three misdemeanors after his car struck and killed a motorcyclist. He was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to days in prison. May Rep. James Traficant D Ohio indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of tax evasion bribery racketeering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of racketeering and accepting bribes. MOST READ STORIES Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham dies at Renzi indicted in theft extortion Motorcycle officer escorting Clinton motorcade dies Death of former police officer s rd wife ruled homicide J.Lo gives birth to twins Builders resort to selling homes at auctions Couple face indictments on fraudulent practices Mayor separates from wife hopes to reconci! le Charges coming in Higley bus incident Angelina Jolie collapses during flight Clash of star trios set Car salesman arrested for armed robbery more MOBILE NEWS Get the latest news weather updates and live traffic conditions on your phone or PDA. Visit mobile.azcentral.com on your device or enter your mobile number and we ll send you a link. 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