Former Louisiana Edwin Edwards Governor Gets 10 Years

Edwards, a carousing Cajun who neither smoked nor drank, but had a penchant for high stakes gambling, off-color jokes and beautiful women, was found guilty after a jury decided that he was intimately involved in extorting payoffs from businessmen seeking riverboat casino licenses. He had been charged with 17 counts of racketeering, extortion, fraud, and conspiracy. Edwards, who is 73 years old, stoically listened as the sentence was read, while his wife and daughter burst into tears behind him.

Dan Small, who is Edwards' lawyer, filed notice of appeal immediately and noted that "A long sentence is effectively a death sentence," referring to Edwards' advanced age. The former governor is due to report to prison on February 5, but a court battle is expected to ensue over his right to remain free while appeals take place.

The case against the flamboyant ex-governor was brought to court on the basis of a 1997 raid on Edwards' house, during which FBI agents seized records and over $400,000 in cash. The FBI also recorded over 1500 hours of telephone conversations and prosecutors received testimony from businessmen who fell victim to Edwards. Former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. testified, claiming that Edwards extorted $400,000 from him.

At the sentencing, Louisiana prosecutor roundly condemned Edwards, noting, "People to this day think, thanks largely in part to Edwin Edwards, that Louisiana is a hostile and dangerous place to do business. It's the Edwards legacy."