Councilman Posts Bond; NewsChannel-9 Asks Him To Address Constituents

John "Duke" Franklin Jr. posted bond tonight after a judge read the indictments against the councilman at the Federal Courthouse.

Everything allegedly started back in March when the Sheriff's Department seized just under $70,000 dollars from one of the men charged along with Franklin. That man then allegedly received a false document stating the money came from a loan. That's when Franklin became involved when he allegedly helped falsify the loan document. Now he's facing up to thirty years in prison.

John "Duke" Franklin walks into the Federal Courthouse wearing handcuffs. The District 5 councilman faces federal charges of money laundering, obstruction, and for making a false statement.

Franklin's indictment says he and two other men "conducted and attempted to conduct a financial transaction affecting interstate commerce which involved proceeds of unlawful activity, that is, the distribution of cocaine."

"He basically the charge is that he told somebody to go to a notary and the notary did back dated a document or signed a back dated document and that looks to be what his involvement is alleged to be," Marty Levitt, Franklin's attorney, says.

The 'somebody' Franklin allegedly told to go the notary is Perry Lawrence. Lawrence allegedly provided a false document stating he loaned another man just under $70,000.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Will Carr asks Lawrence. "Nothing to say man," Lawrence says. "How do you know Duke Franklin? Are y'all friends?" Carr asks but Lawrence chooses not to respond.

We asked Franklin's attorney the same question.

"I don't know at this point I just met him this morning, we didn't get a copy of the indictment until three this afternoon, I haven't even had a chance to go over it with him yet," Levitt says.

Shortly after that comment a silent Duke Franklin walked out of the courthouse after posting his $20,000 bond.

"Do you have anything to say to the people you represent?" Carr asks Franklin who shakes his head no.

Franklin walked next to longtime judge Walter Williams who made a limited appearance as Franklin's council in court this afternoon.

"Has he said that he is innocent? I will give him that presumption, I haven't looked at the charges money laundering is a complicated statute and I don't know that a lot of lay people and a lot of lawyers don't know what money laundering consists of and I certainly don't think he would," Levitt says.

Franklin will appear in court again later this month on May 27th for his arraignment.