Passons Acquitted of Fraud, Conspiracy: Local Appraiser Beats Federal Charges
The Southern Standard, by Duane Sherrill — A federal jury Friday acquitted local real estate appraiser Jimmy Passons, who was accused of inflating the value of a lumber mill sold by state Sen. Jerry Cooper. The not-guilty verdict on the charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and fraud conspiracy against Passons, 61, came a day…