Bowman trial set for Nov. 26

With seven co-defendants already entering guilty pleas and another one about to do so, it appears a number of extra witnesses will be available to the prosecution when the federal bank fraud and credit card fraud trial of Rep. John Bowman, D-St. Louis, begins Nov. 26.
The latest plea change, for Gerald Maurice Rankin, has been scheduled for Nov. 8 in U. S. District Court in St. Louis.
As noted in the Aug. 9 Turner Report, Bowman's lawyers were unsuccessful in their efforts to have statements made by Bowman to U. S. Secret Service Agent John Bush and U. S. Postal Inspector Service Agent Tom Kearns ruled inadmissible.

The veteran St. Louis representative was indicted in January by a federal grand jury, which said Bowman and his co-defendants agreed to a scheme in which Bank of America Vice President Robert Conner took a bank lending program which provided money to small businesses by offering a $25,000 credit limit. Conner then arranged with the other defendants to apply for the loans, often with fictitious companies, then give Conner kickbacks ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 on each loan.
According to the indictment, Conner approved $1,213,970 in fraudulent loans.

According to the indictment, Conner approved $1,213,970 in fraudulent loans.
The indictment says Bowman became involved in the scheme in January 2006 during a meeting with Conner in the Bank of America branch in Chesterfield, submitting a fraudulent credit application under the name "Bowman Consulting."
On Jan. 30, 2006, the indictment said, Bowman used a "fraudulent credit card to obtain a $4,050 cash advance at a Bank of America Plaza branch in St. Louis. From Jan. 25, 2006, to Feb. 3, 2006, Bowman used the bank VISA card to buy "things of value in excess of $1,000."
If convicted of the crimes, Bowman could be sentenced to as much as 40 years in prison.
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Check out the following stories in today's Turner Report:
-State Board of Education Hershend donates maximum to top voucher proponent Cunningham
-U. S. attorney says Nathan Cooper will be in prison by the end of the year
-Disclosure reports filed by 17 recipients of Speaker of the House in waiting Ron Richard's over-the-limit contributions show they came after Missouri Supreme Court ruling.
-Campaign contributors pay Rep. Ruestman's NRA dues

Check out those stories and more at this link.