By By Marianne Todd/The Meridian Star
March 6, 2001
The trial of four Meridian residents accused of conspiracy and mail fraud in a scheme to defraud Comcast Cable has been continued until March 26.
The trial had been scheduled to begin last Monday. It will still be held in Meridian, said a United States Southern District Court clerk.
The continuance comes after motions were heard Monday by presiding United States Judge Thomas S. Lee.
The federal government on Saturday released new indictments, amending an earlier set of indictments against Kim Gianakos, Kary Graham, Darrell Wayne Raley and Clifford D. "Bubba" Newell.
The range of charges includes conspiracy, mail fraud and obtaining money by fraudulent purposes. The new indictment alleges Newell evaded more than $97,000 in federal income taxes and sought forfeiture of $350,000 from Gianakos and more than $1 million in forfeiture from Raley and Newell.
The 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in March accuses the four defendants of conspiring with David Van Colvin, a former regional manager of the Comcast-Primestar cable television operation in Meridian.
Marianne Todd is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at mtodd@themeridianstar.com.