Congressman Launders Money For Drug Dealers

A popular Georgia lawmaker previously arrested and charged with a variety of crimes has pleaded guilty to laundering money for a Florida drug dealer.

The Democrat state representative, who is also a church pastor, got busted late last year when he met with an undercover law enforcement officer who he believed was a drug dealer from Florida. Congressman Ron Sailor agreed to launder $75,000 for a 10% fee. Authorities say when he was arrested Sailor had $300,000 that he had agreed to launder.

As part of the plea agreement, the disgraced congressman also agreed to resign from the Georgia Legislature within 24 hours. Now Sailor faces up to two decades in prison and a fine of up to a quarter million dollars. He told a judge that he got involved in the drug money-laundering ring because he was in deep debt and desperate.

This hardly marks Sailor’s first brush with the law. His record includes an arrest last summer for bouncing a $1,111 check intended to pay utilities on a Buford house, a charge of driving with a suspended license and a fine for failing to file campaign finance reports.
In 2006 Sailor had his state wages garnished to help pay more than $13,000 in overdue income taxes.