Former Limestone County judge sentenced to 4 years in prison

MONTGOMERY — Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Tuesday that former Limestone County district judge Douglas Lee Patterson has been sentenced to serve four years in prison.

Patterson pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to three felony charges: use of official position or office for personal gain, financial exploitation of the elderly in the first degree, and theft of property in the third degree.

He is set to serve four years in prison followed by six years of supervised probation. Patterson, according to a news release from Marshall, is required to serve all of the four years in prison, and if he fails to abide by the terms of probation, he could be ordered to serve another 12 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $72,822 to his victims.

“It is fitting that Patterson has received a stern sentence for his crimes and that we have brought a measure of justice for his victims,” said Attorney General Marshall. “He betrayed the citizens of Limestone County and exploited those who trusted him, stealing from the most vulnerable among us — children, the disabled and the elderly. This sentence serves to restore the public confidence in our judicial system and sends a strong warning that such despicable actions will not be tolerated, and all will be held equally to account under the law.”

FBI Birmingham Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. said, “Everyone, even judges, are subject to the rule of law. The sentence handed down today demonstrates the FBI’s firm commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to address public corruption at every level and hold public officials accountable when they violate the law, their oath of office and the public’s trust.”

As part of Patterson’s plea agreement, he admitted to stealing $47,800 from the Limestone County Juvenile Court Services Fund, which was designated to support the children of Limestone County.

Patterson also admitted in court that, while serving as a private attorney, he financially exploited Charles Lee Hardy, for whom he served as a court-appointed conservator. Hardy died in December 2015 and was left with nothing to inherit to his family.

Patterson also admitted to stealing from another client, Rudolph Allen, while in private practice. According to Tuesday’s announcement, Patterson stole $601 from Allen three years after he died in July 2015. Patterson spent the money on himself rather than turn it over to Allen’s family.

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Former Limestone County judge sentenced to 4 years in prison

Former Nashville Judge Sentenced to Prison for Federal Obstruction and Theft Charges

A former Davidson County, Tennessee judge was sentenced today to 44 months in prison, restitution of $18,000 and a forfeiture of $13,500 for obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and stealing money from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Cason “Casey” Moreland, 61, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr.  The defendant pleaded guilty to five counts of a superseding information on May 24.

According to admissions made in connection with Moreland’s plea agreement, in January 2017, the FBI began investigating whether Moreland solicited sexual favors in exchange for favorable judicial treatment while sitting as a General Sessions Court Judge in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.  Moreland admitted that in February 2017, he became aware that he was a target of an investigation and took steps to try to obstruct it.  Specifically, he devised a scheme to pay a material witness to sign a false affidavit recanting her previous statements, which implicated his criminal conduct in trading judicial favors for sex.  He also devised a scheme to have drugs planted in the witness’s car, and then to have her stopped by police, so that she would be arrested and her credibility would be destroyed.  Moreland carried out these schemes by using a burner phone registered in the name of “Raul Rodriguez” and communicating with an individual who subsequently became an informant, working at the direction of the FBI.
   
Moreland also admitted to criminal conduct stemming from his involvement with the General Sessions Drug Treatment Court, a specialized court program designed to provide alternatives to incarceration for certain defendants.  The work of the Drug Treatment Court was supported by a nonprofit entity called the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation (the “Drug Court Foundation”).  Although Moreland did not have an official position with the Drug Court Foundation, he admitted that he exercised de facto authority over the Drug Court Foundation’s operations.

In connection with his plea agreement, Moreland admitted that beginning in spring 2016, he began embezzling cash from the Drug Court Foundation by directing the Drug Court Foundation’s director to deliver to his office envelopes of cash that she had collected from individuals seeking outpatient treatment for substance abuse.  Then, in February 2017, after learning of the FBI’s investigation, Moreland instructed the Drug Court Foundation’s director to destroy all documents and records relating to the cash payments that he had embezzled. Finally, in February 2018, at a time when he was on pre-trial release for the original charges, Moreland admitted that he attempted to tamper with a witness by suggesting to the Drug Court Foundation’s director that she lie to the grand jury investigating his conduct.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Nashville Resident Agency of the Memphis Division and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lauren Bell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecil VanDevender of the Middle District of Tennessee.

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Former Nashville Judge Sentenced to Prison for Federal Obstruction and Theft Charges