Jury finds ex-lottery commissioner Geddings guilty of mail fraud

Saturday, December 09, 2006 posted 04:12 AM EST

RALEIGH -- A former North Carolina lottery commissioner is guilty of fraud.

That's the ruling today from a federal jury in Raleigh, which heard evidence that Kevin Geddings hid his business ties to a lottery company when he joined the commission last year.

The jury deliberated more than six hours today before convicting Geddings of five counts of mail fraud. He was cleared of one count of wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines for each count.

Prosecutors said Geddings defrauded the state of honest services by failing to disclose more than 250-thousand dollars in payments to his public relations firm from lottery company Scientific Games Corporation.

Geddings' three-week trial included testimony from Governor Mike Easley, House Speaker Jim Black and other powerful state lawmakers.

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