Community Corner

Lasseter Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison

Former Gwinnett County Commissioner Shirley Lasseter will serve time for accepting bribes.

Former Gwinnett County Commissioner Shirley Lasseter, 64, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison on bribery charges.

In May,  on charges she accepted bribes in return for her support for a proposed real estate development.

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“Today’s (Sept. 5) sentence reflects that public officials who betray the public trust and abuse their public office to line their own pockets will pay a heavy price,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Yates in a released statement.  “The elected office of County Commissioner carries with it a tremendous duty of loyalty, honesty, and responsibility to serve the best interests of the citizens of Gwinnett County.  This defendant sold that office for her own profit, promising to approve a real estate development project for individuals whom she believed to be drug traffickers. She earned her significant sentence for violating the public trust and the law.” 

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Lasseter’s son, John Fanning, 34, of Dacula, and Carl “Skip” Cain, 65, of Flowery Branch, an associate of Lasseter’s, . Fanning and Cain were to be sentenced today as well, but, at the request of their lawyers, Judge Pannell postponed their sentencing hearings until Sept. 18, 2012. 

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