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Federal Jury Acquits Finn Dixon & Herling Client of All Charges

A federal jury in the U.S. District Court in New Haven, Connecticut, found Finn Dixon & Herling LLP client Edward Pryor not guilty of all charges. 

The five-defendant federal criminal case was brought by the U.S. Attorney in Connecticut alleging conspiracy and misappropriation of assets owned by the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC), a public corporation that received federal funding.

 The verdict was returned on December 10, 2021, following a five-week trial.  The charges arose out of allegations that the five defendants misused CMEEC assets to pay for out-of-state corporate retreats held at the Kentucky Derby and Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.  Mr. Pryor, the former Chief Financial Officer of CMEEC, was represented by Daniel Noble, Alfred Pavlis, and Elias Laris of Finn Dixon & Herling. 

The original government press release announcing the charges can be found at:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/five-individuals-connected-connecticut-energy-cooperative-charged-misusing-funds

The jury also found co-defendant Edward DeMuzzio not guilty of all charges.  Defendants Drew Rankin, James Sullivan, and John Bilda were found not guilty of conspiracy and one count of violating of 18 U.S.C. Section 666, but were found guilty of another count of violating Section 666.   During trial, the government made a motion to dismiss Count Four of the Indictment, which the Court granted. 

Please direct any questions regarding the case to Daniel Noble at dnoble@fdh.com.