By Staff
Jan. 1, 2002
The three-week Comcast trial dominated the news in April, as federal prosecutors alleged that David Van Colvin and four co-conspirators defrauded the cable company of $2.6 million between January 1994 and August 1996.
Colvin, former regional manager of Comcast-Primestar, was the man at the center of the alleged conspiracy and money-laundering scheme. He struck a deal with the U.S. Attorney's office in 1999 pleading guilty and agreeing to testify in the trial of his alleged co-conspirators.
Four people were indicted as co-conspirators and stood trial in April.
Indicted on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit mail fraud to tax evasion and money-laundering were: publicist Kim Gianakos; Kary Graham, former manager of a Comcast satellite sales office; C.D. "Bubba" Newell, former vice president of Trustmark National Bank in Meridian; and contractor Darrell Wayne Raley.
In the end, the jury agreed with prosecutors that a conspiracy to defraud Comcast existed, but said its only members were Colvin and Newell.
Raley and Graham were acquitted.
Newell was convicted of all 18 counts. Gianakos was acquitted of two conspiracy counts, but convicted of one count of mail fraud. As of this report, Colvin, Newell and Gianakos are free on bond and still awaiting sentencing.