Changes

==Westside Rehabilitation Center==

==Westside Rehabilitation Center==

In 1978, Fryar purchased for $100,000 more than six acres of land in Cheneyville from the Rapides Parish School Board to establish the 180-bed Westside Rehabilitation Center, a non-profit corporation designed to house the mentally retarded. The purchase also included a 30-year-old vacant school building. Fryar incorporated Westside in 1979. Later, he altered the description of the clientele  to include severely mentally and emotionally-disturbed patients. Fryar obtained a certificate of need to justify the establishment of Westside despite opposition from some officials of the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources. Westside initially had no capital assets; it relied on the sale of bonds as its only revenue source. Thereafter, Westside planned  to obtain [[Medicaid]] funds from the state to pay for the care of indigent patients. The bonds were to be retired from Medicaid monies. Fryar had trouble finding capital funding for the project. Investors who owned bonds issued by the rehabilitation center alleged that Fryar and his co-defendants caused the bondholders to lose millions of dollars. After a two-month trial, the jury returned a multi-million-dollar verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and against Fryar and the co-defendants. The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, entered judgment on the verdict and awarded plaintiffs damages totaling approximately $15.5 million. All of the defendants appealed the judgment.<ref name=shawdenies/>  

In 1978, Fryar purchased for $100,000 more than six acres of land in Cheneyville from the Rapides Parish School Board to establish the 180-bed Westside Rehabilitation Center, a non-profit corporation designed to house the mentally retarded. The purchase also included a 30-year-old vacant school building. Fryar incorporated Westside in 1979. Later, he altered the description of the clientele  to include severely mentally and emotionally-disturbed patients. Fryar obtained a certificate of need to justify the establishment of Westside despite opposition from some officials of the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources. Westside initially had no capital assets; it relied on the sale of bonds as its only revenue source. Thereafter, Westside planned  to obtain [[Medicaid]] funds from the state to pay for the care of indigent patients. The bonds were to be retired from Medicaid monies. Fryar had trouble finding capital funding for the project. Investors who owned bonds issued by the rehabilitation center alleged that Fryar and his co-defendants caused the bondholders to lose millions of dollars. After a two-month trial, the jury returned a multimillion-dollar verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and against Fryar and the co-defendants. The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, entered judgment on the verdict and awarded plaintiffs damages totaling approximately $15.5 million. All of the defendants appealed the judgment.<ref name=shawdenies/>  

The lawsuit against Fryar claimed a lack of disclosure in the issue of $13,550,000 in tax-exempt bonds in 1982 to finance the center. Nor was the land transaction itself disclosed. The Bermuda Company, location and ownership unavailable, owned $2.8 million in Westside bonds and collected 16.5 percent in annual interest payments until Westside could no longer pay the bondholders. Westside declared bankruptcy in 1985.<ref name=shawdenies/>

The lawsuit against Fryar claimed a lack of disclosure in the issue of $13,550,000 in tax-exempt bonds in 1982 to finance the center. Nor was the land transaction itself disclosed. The Bermuda Company, location and ownership unavailable, owned $2.8 million in Westside bonds and collected 16.5 percent in annual interest payments until Westside could no longer pay the bondholders. Westside declared bankruptcy in 1985.<ref name=shawdenies/>

==Conviction and imprisonment==

==Conviction and imprisonment==

Fryar was convicted under federal law on eight counts of obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting. The charges stemmed from efforts to bribe three jurors during the Westside Rehabilittion Center civil case. The U.S. government presented evidence that Fryar through intermediaries offerred bribes to two jurors. Two intermediaries testified for the prosecution. The district court sequestered the jury that was hearing Fryar's jury tampering case  at the Holiday Inn in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], Louisiana. Two marshals were stationed nearby, and "No Trespassing" signs posted.. On January 30, 1988, juror Steven Faulkner stated that a woman had come to his room in the early morning hours and inquired about a fraternity party in a nearby room. Faulkner, who room was three doors from the guards' command post, told the other jurors that a young woman had knocked on his motel door  looking for a fraternity party. He said he told the woman he knew nothing about the party and closed his door. Faulkner was excused from the jury. The district court instructed all of the jurors with Fryar's consent to draw no conclusions or inferences from Faulkner's release from the jury. Fryar moved for a mistrial on grounds that the taint of Faulkner's dismissal persisted because five jurors believed his story about the visit. The court denied this motion.The jury found Fryar's actions to be "willful and malicious." it found too that Fryar intended to misrepresent material facts and to profit improperly from his control of Westside. Fryar unsuccessfully sought a new trial after his conviction on grounds that the district court had erroneously excused Faulkner. Fryar's appeal was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in [[New Orleans]].<ref name=courtlistener>{{cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/518415/united-states-v-joe-e-fryar/|title=''United States v. Joe E. Fryar''|publisher=Courtlistener.com|accessdate=August 9, 2018}}</ref>

Fryar was convicted under federal law on eight counts of obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting. The charges stemmed from efforts to bribe three jurors during the Westside Rehabilittion Center civil case. The U.S. government presented evidence that Fryar through intermediaries offered bribes to two jurors. Two intermediaries testified for the prosecution. The district court sequestered the jury that was hearing Fryar's jury tampering case  at the Holiday Inn in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], Louisiana. Two marshals were stationed nearby, and "No Trespassing" signs posted.. On January 30, 1988, juror Steven Faulkner stated that a woman had come to his room in the early morning hours and inquired about a fraternity party in a nearby room. Faulkner, who room was three doors from the guards' command post, told the other jurors that a young woman had knocked on his motel door  looking for a fraternity party. He said he told the woman he knew nothing about the party and closed his door. Faulkner was excused from the jury. The district court instructed all of the jurors with Fryar's consent to draw no conclusions or inferences from Faulkner's release from the jury. Fryar moved for a mistrial on grounds that the taint of Faulkner's dismissal persisted because five jurors believed his story about the visit. The court denied this motion.The jury found Fryar's actions to be "willful and malicious." it found too that Fryar intended to misrepresent material facts and to profit improperly from his control of Westside. Fryar unsuccessfully sought a new trial after his conviction on grounds that the district court had erroneously excused Faulkner. Fryar's appeal was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in [[New Orleans]].<ref name=courtlistener>{{cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/518415/united-states-v-joe-e-fryar/|title=''United States v. Joe E. Fryar''|publisher=Courtlistener.com|accessdate=August 9, 2018}}</ref>

Ultimately, Fryar was imprisoned for the conviction, but the length and location of his incarceration is not available. He was released by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on April 7, 1997.<ref name=bureauofprisons>{{cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|title=Inmate Locator|ublisher=Federal Bureau of Prisons|accessdate=August 9, 2018}}</ref>

Ultimately, Fryar was imprisoned for the conviction, but the length and location of his incarceration is not available. He was released by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on April 7, 1997.<ref name=bureauofprisons>{{cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|title=Inmate Locator|ublisher=Federal Bureau of Prisons|accessdate=August 9, 2018}}</ref>