Former North Carolina official sentenced to 40 months in prison, $50K fine, over ethanol permit bribe

In North Carolina, a former state Environment and Natural Resources Department official has been sentenced to 40 months in prison and a $50,000 fine for extortion and money laundering. Boyce Hudson, who left the state department in 2005, was convicted of  accepting $200,000 in cash and consulting work from Agri-Ethanol Products, in return for expediting permits for a proposed Agri-Energy ethanol plant in Beaufort County. The company had openly touted its relationship with Hudson, in communications to potential investors. One of the potential investors contacted authorities, prompting a federal investigation. The company proposed the construction of up to 20 ethanol plants in the Eastern US, but ultimately did not build any.

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