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Former state representative Nathan Cooper will receive a few extra days of freedom before he must report to federal prison to begin serving a 15-month term.
Cooper had originally been scheduled to report Thursday to the minimum security prison camp adjoining the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Ill. But the prison's spokesman, Tom Werlich, said no prisoners were scheduled to report when the Southeast Missourian called to ask if Cooper had turned himself in.
Cooper will serve 15 months on federal immigration fraud charges. He was sentenced Dec. 10 following his guilty plea entered in August. Cooper, a Republican, was in the middle of his second term as the state House member from Cape Girardeau's 158th District.
Cooper resigned his House seat Aug. 14, setting up a special election on Feb. 5 between Republican Mary Kasten, a former lawmaker seeking a return to office, Democrat Mike Keefe, the former postmaster for Cape Girardeau, and Libertarian Steve Kinder, a pharmacist.
The change in reporting date for Cooper is a purely administrative matter, said assistant federal prosecutor Jim Crowe of St. Louis, who handled the prosecution's case against the former lawmaker. Neither the government nor Cooper's defense counsel have filed any motions that would delay his reporting to prison, Crowe said.
"I expect he will be reporting in the very near future," Crowe said, noting that the specific date is the responsibility of the prison bureau.
Felicia Ponce, a spokeswoman for the bureau, said she could not discuss Cooper's expected entry into the federal prison system. "We are not allowed to reveal where an inmate is supposed to be housed, and we are not allowed to reveal a prisoner's reporting date."
Cooper pleaded guilty to two felonies for helping two trucking companies -- Pullen Bros. of Sikeston, Mo., and CalArk of Little Rock, Ark. -- obtain the services of foreign drivers. Cooper admitted obtaining temporary, seasonal work documents for drivers when the companies had no significant seasonal differences in their demand for employees. He also admitted buying documents intended for hospitality workers and using them for the truck drivers as well as setting up sham companies to hide the true employers of the drivers.
Cooper could not be reached for comment.
335-6611, extension 126
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just as long as he serves his 15 months.
His federal sentence might be 15 months, but I assure you he'll not serve the full term. I would bet he'll be released on some form of federal "shock" probation within four to six months.
I say we all make it hard on Mr. Cooper to make a living in the area and run him out of town.
Let someone else deal with the crook.
Whoever is Nathan's cell mate will be very lucky to have an attorney present with him 24 hours a day. I am sure he is going to be picking his brain on many legal issues.
but I don't know if I would want the legal advice of an attorney who is in prison....Physician heal thyself so to speak.
Mosely:
Your christian values are showing.
Overwatch:
Be assured there is no 'Shock Probation" in the Federal system. He was sentenced to a specific number of months, and the only thing reducing that is time spent in jail and "Good Behavior" time.
How many times did he delay his sentencing?? At least twice. Looks like a guy who's afraid to pay the Piper!
Keep in mind he is going to a prison camp. He won't have a cell mate as he probably won't be in a cell.
Sounds more like a country club, for privileged convicted felons, than a "prison". Yet another example of the double standard. Tea at noon and horse riding at one lovie! Isn't his crime a serious threat to the security of the United States? They used to call that treason. Just what number REICH are we in now?
He will be pardoned. George W is working on the paperwork but won't sign it until after the general election. He doesn't want the voters to think that REPUBLICAN's are soft on TREASON and TERRORISTS!