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March 3, 2007

Pugh received 12-year term

By Kelly Young

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Ex-Jacksonville Police Officer Larry Pugh, 34, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in federal prison.

Pugh pled guilty Sept. 28, 2006, to forcing two women to have sex with him while on duty. He also admitted to retaliating against one of the victims when she began cooperating with the Jacksonville Police Department’s investigation.

Pugh’s sentence was determined by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider, who gave Pugh the maximum sentence possible under his plea agreement. Schneider’s decision was that Pugh should serve one year in prison for each of the two sexual assault charges and another 10 years for retaliation. Following the conclusion of his prison term, Pugh will be subject to three additional years of supervised release.

According to Alan Jackson, an assistant district attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Tyler, Pugh’s sentencing on Thursday concludes the federal aspect of his legal troubles.

“The original indictment had five different civil rights charges. In the final, superseding indictment, we brought three civil rights charges and one obstruction of justice charge against him,” Jackson said. “When he wound up pleading guilty to two of the civil rights charges and the obstruction charge, the third civil rights charge was dropped. No federal charges remain against Pugh.”

Jackson said a charge initially brought against Pugh for allegedly lying to federal investigators was also dropped.

In addition to the two victims involved in Pugh’s federal case, eight women have come forward to file civil cases against the former officer claiming he also sexually assaulted them from 2005 to 2006. Former Jacksonville Police Chief Mark Johnson and the city of Jacksonville are also named in the civil cases.

Pugh is also a defendant in two excessive force cases, including the 2004 Tomato Bowl brawl.

A continuance was filed by Tonda Curry, Pugh’s attorney, in an attempt to postpone the sentencing, but Schneider denied the motion.

Pugh did not address the court with any comments.

“I am satisfied with the result of this case. I though it was a reasonable plea agreement, and the judge followed the recommendations given to him by the attorneys,” Jackson said.

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