"Radio silence" is beaming from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Birmingham, providing little illumination but raising questions about Matrix matters in Florida

Prim Escalona

 

Evidence points to  a federal investigation, possibly focused on obstruction of justice allegations related  to powerful entities in Birmingham. Such a probe likely would tie back to the highly publicized North Birmingham Superfund bribery scandal. But on current matters, no publicity is forthcoming from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, headed by Prim Escalona.

Publisher K.B. Forbes describes the current scenario in a post at banbalch.com, under the headline "Radio Silence from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama." Writes Forbes:

For almost two weeks, we have been seeking confirmation, denial or a “no comment” from the the public affairs officials at the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

We were told to go through the office by a top official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that investigates child exploitation and human trafficking.

Texting, leaving voicemails, and emailing spokespersons produced radio silence.

What is the focus of Forbes query?

The two questions on two separate matters that we asked about are based in part on unsubstantiated allegations.

1. What is the current status of the alleged pedophilia/child solicitation investigation related to Chase T. Espy and his former law firm [Balch & Bingham] that appears to have changed IP addresses weeks before he was terminated?
   
2. William D. Lineberry committed suicide on April 12. Was he a person of interest in a federal investigation and/or served a search warrant on or about January 26th?

Since October, sources have told us of an alleged federal obstruction of justice probe of Alabama Power and its CEO Mark A. Crosswhite related to the North Birmingham Bribery Trial.

We know authorities at Homeland Security received a detailed debriefing on Espy and the change of IP addresses at Balch. We were trying to confirm if a probe was completed, ongoing or closed.

Questions regarding Lineberry are particularly puzzling because evidence indicates he did not play a major role in the North Birmingham matter. Writes Forbes:

On the other matter related to the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal, Lineberry, who lived just over a mile from Overton Road where the FBI raid in Mountain Brook supposedly took place on January 26th, sadly killed himself.

We understand some law enforcement authorities may obscure locations to protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation.

Frankly speaking, Lineberry’s work in the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal was limited. From the invoices presented at the criminal trial, his total billable hours to set up the Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE) amounted to less that 5 hours at a cost of under $2,000.

So, where do things stand at the moment? Forbes does his best to provide an answer -- and he even adds an intriguing question:

The radio silence does not confirm or negate anything.

Something deep is going on and sources tell us that the Matrix Meltdown between “Sloppy Joe” Perkins and his once-protégé Jeff Pitts has now allegedly spurred a federal investigation out of Florida.

This new development could impact Matrix’s premier client Alabama Power, which of course impacts its sister-wife Balch & Bingham.

Follow-up question: Is the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama now collaborating with counterparts in Florida?