Former director of Alabama Small Business Development ...

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --The former director of the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium, convicted last fall on 96 counts of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering, is to be sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Court Judge Abdul Kallon.

Federal prosecutors are recommending Maurice William Campbell Jr be sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for his conviction in what prosecutors called a scheme to defraud the state of $7.3 million.

An attorney for Campbell, who maintains his innocence and is appealing the verdict, has recommended the judge impose a prison sentence of between four and five years.

Campbell was hired in January 2003 as state director of the consortium. That group was composed of four-year universities in the state -- each with its own small business development center -- as well as a procurement technical center and an international trade center. In 2005, he formed the private, nonprofit Alabama Small Business Institute of Commerce, which got more than $7.3 million from the state before funding was shut down in 2010.

Campbell was accused of using state money for the benefit of himself and others, including gifts of jewelry, clothing, and dinners for young women he surrounded himself with whom he called "Little Sisters." He also referred to himself as "Sir William," according to testimony.

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/former_director_of_alabama_sma.html

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