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Former Sheriff Pleads Guilty

Former Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long pleaded guilty in federal court Monday afternoon.  He shuffled into the courtroom just before 3:00 PM, clean shaven, wearing red inmate scrubs, handcuffs and shackles.  His head was down, as in the past, until he scanned the front row of seats and spotted his wife.  At least two times when their eyes met, he smiled broadly and waved. 

Standing beside his lawyer Jerry Summers, he spoke softly, which prompted Judge Sandy Mattice to order him to, "Speak up.". 

"Guilty," Long answered to counts 1 through 19 involving extortion, 20 through 25 involving money laundering, count 26 of providing a firearm and ammunition to a known felon and to count 27, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.  The government dropped count 28 in the indictment which was possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

After a long litany of questions, Judge Mattice deemed him fit to enter the plea and while he did accept it, he deferred accepting or denying the plea agreement until viewing the results of a pre-sentencing investigation report.

For the offenses, Long faces a maximum of 20 years and $20,000 fine for each of counts 1 through 19, 20 years and $50,000 fine for counts 20-25 and 10 years and $250,000 fine for count 26.   In the case of the drug trafficking charge, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years with a maximum sentence of life with a $4,000,000 fine.  Before accepting the plea, Judge Mattice asked Long if anyone representing the government had offered him any promises of a lighter sentence or any form of leniency in exchange for his guilty plea, to which Long answered no.

The plea agreement was sealed at the request of Summers. Judge Mattice set a sentencing date of Monday, August 18.

This phase of US v. William Horace Long took about 30 minutes.  He was escorted out of the courtroom and back to jail, where he has been since being arrested back on February 2.

Reported to Greg Glover