Arledge’s court date postponed to Sept. 25|[8/2/06]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 2, 2006

The trial of a Vicksburg attorney accused of knowingly filing false claims for payment from a diet-drug settlement trust has been postponed.

U.S. District Judge David Bramlette granted a request from attorneys for Robert Arledge, 49, 101 Golding Blvd., that his trial be delayed and set Sept. 25 as the new trial date. The case had been set for Aug. 8.

Arledge’s attorneys asked for more time &#8220due to the large volume of documents, which must be reviewed prior to trial,” Jackson U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Sheila Wilbanks said. &#8220The government did not oppose the motion and the motion was granted by the court.”

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Arledge is accused in a May 26 indictment charging conspiracy, mail and wire fraud and money-laundering. Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of about $8 million in assets, the amount he’s accused of obtaining through claims he knew were false.

Arledge surrendered to federal authorities in Jackson May 29. He was arraigned on the indictment there the next day, when he was represented by attorneys William Kirksey and Karl Koch.

Kirksey called the charges against his client &#8220unfounded” and said Arledge had done nothing wrong.

The indictment accuses Arledge of helping qualify Jefferson County residents for settlement payments from a trust established by a federal court for settlement of claims against the former American Home Products Corporation, now Wyeth.

Federal authorities had also charged and, in September 2004, obtained guilty pleas from at least three of the Jefferson County residents on whose behalf the Arledge indictment says false claims were submitted. While other claimants have also been indicted and sentenced after guilty pleas, Arledge is the only attorney charged. The indictment alleges he actively participed in preparing bogus documents to make claims.

The trust was designed for AHP to settle claims for damages from people who were harmed by using drugs it manufactured and sold under the names Pondimin and Redux, the indictment says. Those drugs were used in a combination called fen-phen that was prescribed to treat obesity.

The drugs were pulled from the market in 1997 after research revealed they could cause heart problems.

The indictment lists goods and services it says Arledge bought using funds obtained fraudulently from the settlement trust. FBI agents swarmed Arledge’s home on May 25, while he was away, to begin the process of seizing some of his property.

Arledge made an unsuccessful run for the judgeship of Warren County Court and Youth Court in 2002. He subsequently sought the job of prosecuting attorney for Warren County, first by gubernatorial appointment and then as a candidate for election. He did not receive the appointment and withdrew his candidacy prior to the election.

The indictment against Arledge, a licensed attorney since 1995, says he maintained an office in Vicksburg and was associated with the Jackson law firm Schwartz & Associates.

Following his May 30 arraignment Arledge was released on $50,000 bond.

A trial would be in Jackson, Wilbanks said.