State Rep Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

A Norcross state representative pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal money laundering charges in a federal district court.

Walter Ronnie Sailor (D-Norcross) admitted to the laundering and attempting to disquise what he thought were drug proceeds. Sailor had taken possession and agreed to launder approximately $350,000 in cash from the alleged sale of cocaine.

He was arrested in December, according to United States Attorney David E. Nahmias, Sailor has been cooperating in an ongoing corruption investigation.

“This case did not start as a public corruption matter, but rather as a drug money laundering investigation -- part of our diligent efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute significant drug traffickers and money launderers, whomever they may be,” said Nahmias.

According to Nahmias, Sailor initiated a meeting with an undercover law enforcement officer at an Atlanta hotel in November of last year. Sailor had been seeking a drug dealer who could provide him with $300,000 in drug proceeds to launder. The agent was posing as a drug dealer from Florida.

Sailor had indicated he had the ability to launder the funds and had done so in the past. Sailor also offered various scenarios for laundering and discussed the source of the money, namely drug trafficking.

Sailor and the agent met again the same day; Sailor took possession of $25,000, that he believed to be the proceeds from the sale of cocaine.

On Nov. 30 Sailor presented the agent with a certified check for $22,000. The check was falsely paid to order of the undercover agent for contract work done at a church Sailor was affiliated with.

During December 2007 Sailor met with the undercover agent four more times, laundering an estimated $50,000 during the month. On Dec. 6 Sailor flew to Florida where he met with the agent again and gave him two checks in the amounts of $15,000 and $30,000. Each check was drawn on the accounts of separate local Atlanta businesses and signed by a third party. Both checks falsely indicated that they were for a business loan.

During the fourth meeting on Dec. 19 Sailor was given $300,000 cash, which was also represented as drug proceeds. After taking the money Sailor was confronted by FBI officers, he waived his Miranda rights and admitted to laundering the funds. He also admitted he intended to launder the $300,000 he had been given that day.

“Rep. Sailor’s actions in that regard were very disturbing, because he was a person entrusted by his community with enacting the law, who instead violated the law in a serious way, seeking to assist the drug traffickers who sell their poison in our communities. Shortly after he was confronted by the FBI,
however, Mr. Sailor decided to do the right thing by admitting his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate regarding potential criminal activity by others. As a result, we now have an active public corruption investigation," said Nahmias.

Sailor will be sentenced on May 22 before Chief Judge Camp, he could face up to 20 years in prison and fined $250,000. Sailor has agreed to forfeit all property involved in and traceable to his crime, including $8,000 in commissions and fees paid to him for the money laundering.

"As Mr. Sailor and others have learned, people in public office who have violated the law and the public’s trust should know that their situation will be much better if they come knocking on the FBI’s door than if the FBI comes knocking on theirs,” Nahmias said.

Sailor was also one of six Georgia lawmakers and former candidates facing fines from State Ethics Commission for failing to file campaign and financial reports.
Sailor has resigned from his seat, he has represented DeKalb and Rockdale Counties since 2001.

House Democratic Leader DuBose Porter and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre released a joint statement, saying, "Our credibility and trust is all we have and it is sad when that trust is broken. This is an unfortunate matter where the public trust has been broken. There are honorable men and women in the House and this should not be