Grand jury indicts attorney for perjury in Neal loan case

Attorney Carl Bussey, a former member of the Jackson County Legislature, faces federal charges that he lied about giving loans to former Municipal Court Judge Deborah Neal.

Bussey, 58, was charged Friday in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury. He declined to comment Friday afternoon.

The charges alleged that Bussey, of Carl W. Bussey & Associates, made loans to Neal, and he arranged for his cousin to loan money to Neal as well.

According to Bradley J. Schlozman, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Bussey falsely denied making those loans during a federal investigation into allegations that Neal solicited loans from attorneys and others involved in cases over which she presided as judge. Neal, who pleaded guilty to fraud in May 2005, is serving a 28-month prison sentence.

The indictment claimed Bussey told a federal agent in September 2004 that he did not make any loans to Neal. It also charged that he again made other false statements in an October 2004 affidavit.

Bussey allegedly approached his cousin and asked her to loan money to Neal, the indictment added. Bussey’s cousin called Neal in his presence and agreed to loan her money, then gave Bussey a check payable to Neal, which he delivered to her.