April 9th, 2008
Dennis Churchwell Pleads Guilty to Perjury Charge in Case Investigated as
Part of Operation Mainstreet Sweeper
Memphis, TN - Dennis Churchwell pleaded guilty to perjury in connection with a grand jury investigation which sought to ascertain, among other things, if Dennis Churchwell had forgiven rent owed by Edmund Ford in return for Edmund Ford’s assistance in obtaining a special use permit from the Memphis City Council for property controlled by Dennis Churchwell. This announcement was made today by David Kustoff, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Churchwell was indicted in this matter on July 11, 2007. Today, Churchwell pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment in Case No. 07-20212-D charging this Defendant with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1623 (the federal perjury statute).
Count 1 concerned Churchwell’s testimony before a grand jury on March 27, 2007. As set forth in the factual basis filed in connection with the change of plea, on or about July 19, 2005, Edmund Ford as a City Councilman with the City of Memphis voted in favor of the special use permit for the property located at 3403 Elvis Presley Blvd. which had been sought by the Churchwells. Also according to the factual basis, Edmund Ford leased 3390 Elvis Presley Blvd. from the wife of Dennis Churchwell. On March 27, 2007, Dennis Churchwell testified before the grand jury that Ford was current on his rental payments to the Churchwells for 3390 Elvis Presley as of December 31, 2005, when in fact he was not. According to the factual basis, the 2005 U.S. Income Tax Form 1040 filed on behalf of Churchwell’s wife (the owner of record of the property) showed a total of only $4,610 in rental income from 3390 Elvis Presley Blvd. received during the year ending December 31, 2005 (while the monthly rent under the lease was $2,500.00 per month); an attorney hired by Dennis Churchwell sent a letter to Edmund Ford, on or about February 28, 2006, which stated “that, as of March 1, 2006, you will be delinquent in your monthly rent in the total sum of $24,500.00"; and on February 21, 2007, Dennis Churchwell told an FBI agent that Edmund Ford was behind in his rent for a total of approximately $24,000.
Sentencing has been scheduled for August 5, 2008.
The case against Churchwell arose out of what has been termed Operation Mainstreet Sweeper and the investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Memphis Division. This operation has resulted in other charges against public figures and originally arose out of an inter-agency operation called Clean Sweep. The Clean Sweep cases were investigated by the DEA’s Memphis Resident Office in partnership with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
The case against Churchwell is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Larry Laurenzi and Tom Colthurst, with the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Operations Clean Sweep and Mainstreet Sweeper are continuing investigations.
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