Former Qwest Executive to be Tried Again on Fraud Charges

Federal prosecutors announced Friday they will retry former Qwest Communications sales executive Thomas Hall on charges he improperly booked about $34 million in revenue as part of a 2001 deal, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

A jury deadlocked on all 11 counts against Hall last month, ending a nine-week trial. U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn was informed that prosecutors plan to retry the case.

Prosecutors also said that Grant Graham, another former executive in the same case, has reached a plea agreement. The same jury had acquitted Graham of three wire fraud charges, but had deadlocked on eight other charges. Neither Graham’s attorney nor the prosecutors would discuss the plea agreement, Dow Jones reported.

Two other former Qwest executives, John Walker and Bryan Treadway, were acquitted of all charges on April 16, Dow Jones reported. All four were charged with improperly booking the money from an equipment sale to Arizona schools in 2001 as well as wire fraud and securities fraud, Dow Jones reported.

Defense attorneys have said their clients were being sacrificed by higher-placed Qwest executives and said their clients were told the Arizona deal had been approved.

Qwest provides telephone services in 14 states, the West and Midwest.

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