January 14, 2008 Feds 12- Tn Waltzers 0

Michael Hooks, Jr. of Memphis recently became the twelfth and last Tennessee Waltz defendant to be sentenced.

With Hooks' guilty plea and sentencing, federal prosecutors ended up with a clean sweep of 12 convictions.

In addition to being the last to be sentenced, Michael Hooks, Jr. has the dubious distinction of being one-half of the only father-son Tennessee Waltz duo.

His father, Michael Hooks, Sr., was sentenced over a year ago for taking bribes from the FBI's fictitious E-cycle company.

December 6, 2006 Another Tennessee Waltz Conviction in Memphis

The Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports that Michael Hooks, Sr. was sentenced today to 2 years and 2 months in prison for accepting over $24,000 in bribes while serving as a Shelby County Commissioner.

Hooks' arrest was part of the FBI's Tennessee Waltz sting that resulted in numerous statewide arrests and convictions of elected officials, including several Tennessee legislators, a school board member, a county commissioner, and others.

Several of those who were arrested in the Waltz have already been tried and convicted. However, a few, the most prominent of whom is former Sen. John Ford of Memphis, have not had their day in court yet.

Hooks was filmed taking money in return for helping a fictitious company, "E-cycle," get government contracts and business in Shelby County.

Read the story here.