Beef plant conspirator awarded reduced sentence

OAKLAND — A federal judge has reduced the sentence of a key figure in the Mississippi beef plant scandal.

Richard Hall, of Clarksville, Tenn., was sentenced in 2006 to eight years in prison for his role in the failure of the plant. The beef plant, backed by the Mississippi Legislature and two state agencies, ran into trouble soon after Hall was given millions for the project.

Hall pleaded guilty to keeping $751,000 in public and corporate funds for himself during the debacle.

In 2008, federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Neil Biggers to reduce Hall’s sentence. Prosecutors said Hall had testified and assisted the government in several criminal and civil cases, which have resulted in pleas of guilty or convictions and helped recoup money owed to the state of Mississippi related to be beef plant.

Biggers filed an order Tuesday reducing Hall’s sentence to 64 months.

Hall was indicted in 2006 and pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and money laundering. Hall reported to prison in Oct. 2007 and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, is serving his sentence at the McCreary, Ky., facility.

The beef plant opened in Oakland in Aug. 2004 but lasted less than three months. In Jan. 2005, Hall defaulted on a $21-million loan to Community Bank and the project went into foreclosure.

In June 2005, the state paid the bank on its guaranteed $34 million.

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One Response to “Beef plant conspirator awarded reduced sentence”

1. Your Brother Says:
   February 3rd, 2011 at 9:28 pm

   Cattle Gate took a wrong turn on the Natchize Trace a long time ago. Yes, Richard Hall should be in jail, but so should the brain trust that cooked up this bull crap. The bottom line is the people of Mississippi got screwed.