Superseding Indictment Returned as to Charles Ruffin Poole

RALEIGH, NC—United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that today a Federal Grand Jury returned a 57-Count Superseding Criminal Indictment charging CHARLES RUFFIN POOLE, 38, of Raleigh, North Carolina, with extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951; bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(B); use of the mail and facilities in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(1)&(3); honest services mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 1346; money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(I); monetary transactions in criminally derived property, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957; and income tax evasion, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7201.

According to the Indictment, from 2001 to 2009, POOLE served as personal assistant and special counsel to the governor of North Carolina.

The original Indictment, returned January 21, 2010, contained 51 counts. The Superseding Indictment added six new counts: (1) three counts of using facilities in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering; and (2) three counts of income tax evasion.

The maximum penalty for extortion under the color of official right is up to 20 years' imprisonment followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum penalty for each of the bribery charges is up to 10 years' imprisonment followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For each charge of use of the mail or facilities in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, the maximum penalty is up to five years' imprisonment followed by three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For each charge of honest services mail fraud, the maximum penalty is up to 20 years' imprisonment followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For each charge of money laundering, the maximum penalty is up to 20 years' imprisonment followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. For each charge of monetary transactions in criminally derived property, the maximum penalty is up to 10 years' imprisonment followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction. For each charge of tax evasion, the maximum penalty is up to five years' imprisonment, together with the cost of prosecution, followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

It is important to note that POOLE is the only individual charged in the Superseding Indictment returned by the Grand Jury today, and it does not allege wrongdoing by any other person. Investigation of this case is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations Division. This case is being handled by the Office’s Economic Crimes Section, with First Assistant United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce and Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Duffy assigned as prosecutors.