Home Jacksonville Press Releases 2010 Former Dixie County Officials Sentenced to Federal Prison
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Former Dixie County Officials Sentenced to Federal Prison

U.S. Attorney’s Office January 14, 2010
  • Northern District of Florida (850) 942-8430

GAINESVILLE, FL—Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced today that two former Dixie County officials, John Lee Driggers, 61, and Alton James Land, 68, were sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy, bribery, and making false statements during the course of a federal investigation.

Evidence introduced at a week long jury trial in August of last year established that Driggers, Land, and, a third defendant, Willie Keen, accepted bribes in connection with business pending before the Dixie County Board of County Commissioners. In 2006, while Keen was serving as the Building and Zone Inspector for Dixie County, and Driggers and Land were serving as County Commissioners, the three men conspired to take $10,000 in bribes in exchange for their approval of developments within Dixie County and their agreement to influence other members of the Board of County Commissioners. In recorded conversations with an undercover FBI agent posing as a developer, Keen told the agent that the three men preferred “cash.” In a separate conversation, Land claimed that another commissioner on the board would be willing to accept money in exchange for his vote. When the other commissioner ultimately refused the bribe, Land dismissed concerns that the commissioner would notify law enforcement saying, “It’s our word against his.” In other conversations with the undercover agent, Land offered to obtain a young Mexican woman illegally in the country to employ as a maid. Land told the agents that the illegal aliens were generally 18 to 24 years old and that “you can work them all day.”

At the conclusion of the January 13 sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Stephan P. Mickle, sentenced both Land and Driggers to three concurrent terms of 37 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy, bribery, and false statements. In addition, each defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.

In November of last year, Keen was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in the bribery case and for his conviction for federal program fraud in a separate case.

Mr. Kirwin commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, whose joint investigation led to the convictions and sentences in this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. McMahon.

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