JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions on thirty-six corruption-related charges for former JAXPORT chairman, Tony Nelson.
He is serving a 40-month prison sentence for bribery, money laundering, honest services mail fraud, and making a false statement to the FBI. Prosecutors say Nelson asked for and took more than $143,000 in bribes from a dredging contractor at JAXPORT.
In his appeal, Nelson claimed the federal fraud and bribery statutes "constitutionally vague." He also said the court improperly instructed the jury on the applicable law, and the court "improperly admitted the testimony of JJAXPORT'S director of procurement." But the Court of Appeals ruled the statutes "gave Nelson adequate notice of the conduct they prohibit," and the instructions to the jury "propelled the jury to look at Nelson's state of mind."
