Federal judge denies Erxleben bail
A federal judge has denied bail for former football player Russell Erxleben who has been incarcerated since January for what prosecutors say was a series of foreign trading schemes that bilked dozens of investors.
In an opinion filed Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel backed an earlier decision of a magistrate judge, saying there were no conditions he could impose under a supervised release that would keep Erxleben from trying to influence witnesses or from posing a financial danger.
The judge said he took into consideration evidence from Erxleben’s first detention hearing in May and new information presented at another one last month. Among the key testimony, Yeakel wrote, was that of Lance Henne, a former Bastrop County inmate, who in the second detention hearing testified that Erxleben had attempted to hire him to intimidate a key witness.
In both court proceedings, prosecutors have portrayed the former pro football player as a savvy manipulator who would pose a threat to the public if released. But Erxleben’s lawyers casted doubt on the credibility of the allegations and contended that house arrest was a viable alternative.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/federal-judge-denies-erxleben-bail/nbKLT/ .
Cross-posted in Texas Group.