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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Money Laundering |
Sentence: |
2 years probation |
Years Imprisoned: |
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Year Crime: |
2007 |
Year Convicted: |
2009 |
Year Cleared: |
2010 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Ohio |
County or Region of Crime: |
Summit |
City of Crime: |
Akron |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Mandie L. Pugh was 33 when she was wrongly convicted in April 2009 in Summit County, Ohio of one count of money laundering. Pugh's 12-count indictment in December 2007 included nine counts of money laundering, and that she engaged in a pattern of corrupt activity while a bookkeeper for Evergreen Corporation in Akron, Ohio. Pugh insisted on her innocence and in spite of facing a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted on all counts, she refused a plea bargain by the Summit County Prosecutor's Office that would have spared her jail time. After her trial the jury acquitted Pugh of all but one money laundering count. Pugh's conviction was based on evidence she made two bank money transactions for Evergreen Corp. on March 26, 2007. Pugh's boss, Evergreen Corporation's President David Willan, was convicted in December 2008 of a number of fraud related charges. Pugh was sentenced to two years probation. On June 16, 2010 the Ohio Court of Appeals vacated Pugh's conviction on the basis there was insufficient evidence Pugh committed money laundering, because "There is no evidence in the record that connects Pugh's repeated transactions ...with a corrupt activity." (State v. Pugh, 2010 Ohio 2741 - Ohio Ct of Appeals, 9th App. Dist. 2010) Mandie Pugh told reporters her exoneration ''makes everything seem brighter. I don't have this heavy burden on my shoulders right now. I can at least start my life.'' Pugh's lawyer Brian Pierce said after the appeals court's ruling, "Despite facing 65 years in prison, she turned down all [offers of] plea bargains from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, because she knew in her heart she had done nothing wrong here. 'And she had the courage to fight this case. After 21/2 years, she's finally been vindicated, so it's a happy day for her and she's able to get on with her life — finally.''" |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On June 16, 2010 the Ohio Court of Appeals vacated Pugh's conviction on the basis there was insufficient evidence Pugh committed money laundering, because "There is no evidence in the record that connects Pugh's repeated transactions ...with a corrupt activity." (State v. Pugh, 2010 Ohio 2741 - Ohio Ct of Appeals, 9th App. Dist. 2010)" |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Female |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"State v. Pugh, 2010 Ohio 2741 - Ohio Ct of Appeals, 9th App. Dist. 2010" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.leagle.com/decision/in%20ohco%2020100616417 |
Information Source 2: |
"Evergreen bookkeeper's conviction vacated -- Evergreen Corp.'s Mandie Pugh is absolved by appellate court in money-laundering case, By Ed Meyer (staff writer), Beacon Journal (Akron, OH), June 17, 2010" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.ohio.com/news/evergreen-bookkeeper-s-conviction-vacated-1.188779 |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org