Mobile, Alabama Man Indicted for Soliciting to Murder a Federal Judge and Federal Prosecutor

PENSACOLA, FL and MOBILE, AL—Edmond Smith IV, a/k/a “Eddie,” 43, Mobile, Alabama, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on charges of threatening to harm and soliciting to murder a federal judge and federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Thomas F. Kirwin and U.S. Attorney Eugene (Gene) Seidel for the Southern District of Alabama announced today.

Smith was charged with these crimes as they relate to United States District Judge William H. Steele and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Bordenkircher of the Southern District of Alabama. Smith was also charged with providing false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the course of its investigation.

Smith was convicted by a federal jury in Mobile, Alabama in March of this year on charges of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Judge Steele presided over the trial and Mr. Borderkircher was the prosecutor. Because the new allegations involve both a judge and prosecutor in the Southern District of Alabama, the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. recused the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile, Alabama at that office’s request from prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg, of the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, has been specially appointed to lead the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.

Smith is scheduled to appear in federal court in Mobile, Alabama on August 5, 2009 for an arraignment on this indictment. Smith faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of solicitation to commit murder, up to 10 years for each count of threatening to harm the victims, and up to five years for making a false statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is merely a formal charge by the grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in United States District Court.