Gwinnett County Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribe

[UPDATED at 6:15 PM] From Channel 2, WSB-TV:

“These defendants used the office of a County Commissioner to line their pockets by taking payoffs from individuals whom they believed to be drug traffickers.  These defendants broke the public trust and the law.  We will continue to aggressively pursue corrupt public officials and those who conspire with them,” U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said in a news conference Thursday.

Prosecutors told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh that Lasseter and her son, John Fanning, were involved a plan where Lasseter and Fanning would accept bribes from a businessman for them to change zoning on a piece of property that they wanted to build a pawn shop on.

The investigation showed the pawn shop would be used to as a front to launder money and distribute narcotics.

Investigators said Lasseter received $36,500 in bribes from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for her official action on the proposed development.

Fanning was to receive an ownership stake in the business once everything was settled.

“Citizens of this district has the right to expect that officials are not going to use their positions to line their pockets with payoffs from developers and certainly not from drug dealers,” Yates said.

Lasseter could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6.

Gwinnett County Commissioner Shirley Fanning-Lasseter has resigned her seat on the Commission today after pleading guilty in federal court to accepting a bribe:

Prosecutors disclosed today that all three defendants are cooperating with federal and Gwinnett County authorities in other ongoing, unspecified investigations.

“Your honor, I truthfully regret I took a bribe,” Lasseter, 64, said.

“I am very ashamed I did something like that to embarrass not only myself and my constituents but also the commissioners in Gwinnett County.”

Pannell then asked, “You did it for the money?”

“Yes sir,” answered Lasseter, who resigned her position shortly before entering her plea.

During the guilty plea hearing, Assistant U.S. District Attorney Douglas Gilfillan also disclosed that Lassetter and her son tried to enlist an undercover FBI agent posing as a businessman to secure bribes to get her vote in favor of the privatization of the Gwinnett County airport.

The three defendants met with the undercover agent at a Gwinnett hotel on June 15, 2011, the complaint said. Before the meeting, undercover agent was told by Cain that Lasseter was in financial distress and needed $1,500. When Lasseter arrived, the undercover agent took her aside, told her he understood she needed money and gave her $1,500 in cash, the complaint said.

The undercover agent also told the commissioner he was happy to help her in the future because he would later need her vote, the complaint said. “You’ve got my vote,” Lasseter responded, according to the document.

According to a federal complaint unsealed today, Lasseter accepted $35,000 in bribes last year for her vote and influence involving a development on Boggs Road. The complaint indicates that conversations between the defendants and the undercover agent, described only as “Person A,” were secretly recorded.