Crime Time

AmeriFirst owner convicted of fraud that victimized retirees

A Farmers Branch man was convicted Wednesday of deceiving hundreds of investors in a $50 million securities sale scheme through his companies, AmeriFirst. Dennis Woods Bowden, 58, was found guilty of four counts of securities fraud and five counts of mail fraud for his role, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count when he is sentenced in April. Bowden was owner of the Dallas-based AmeriFirst Funding Corp. and AmeriFirst Acceptance Corp.  According to evidence presented at trial, he helped orchestrate offerings that raised more than $50 million from 500 investors in Texas and Florida, many of them retirees. Bowden spent some of the investors' money on an airplane, sports cars, a condo, and real estate for used car lots. He also owned a company that bought and sold used cars. Five other men who took part in the scheme have either pleaded guilty or been convicted, and another man is under indictment, the news release says. - Staff report

Collin County district judge facing more criminal charges

Prosecutors allege that a couple funneled money to the election campaign of Collin County district Judge Suzanne Wooten in exchange for a favorable ruling on their civil cases pending in her court. A grand jury first indicted Wooten and the couple last year. New charges this month include engaging in organized criminal activity, money launder and bribery, Star Local News reports.

Court ruling could free murderers, rapists from N.C. prisons

Unless the state of North Carolina can find a way to prevent it, scores of convicted murderers and rapists will be set free this month after courts ruled that a decades-old law defines a "life sentence" as only 80 years long.

"I’m appalled that the state of North Carolina is being forced to release prisoners who have committed the most heinous of crimes, without any review of their cases," Gov. Beverly Perdue said in a statement.

Here's what how that statute, adopted in 1974 and in effect for several years, reads: "A sentence of life imprisonment shall be considered as a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 80 years in the state’s prison."

An inmate argued in court that with that time limitation and credit for good conduct in prison, his sentenced was complete.

Many other inmates could be set free in coming months because of the ruling.

-- Lance Murray