By Jen McCaffery

Archives Reprint

   jen.mccaffery@roanoke.com

   981-3336

    Former National D-Day Memorial Foundation president Richard Burrow emphatically pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges in connection with his fund raising for the Bedford monument.

    At a brief but crowded hearing in federal court in Roanoke, Burrow, 57, listened to Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Hogeboom outline the 12 charges Burrow faces, before entering his plea.

    "I am not guilty," Burrow responded deliberately.

    Burrow faces three charges each of mail and wire fraud; and two charges each of bank fraud, loan application fraud and perjury.

    The mail, wire fraud and perjury charges each carry a maximum sentence of five years or a fine of $250,000. The bank and loan application fraud charges each carry a maximum sentence of 30 years, and a fine of up to $1 million. But the charges are also subject to federal sentencing guidelines, which generally call for shorter sentences.

    As part of Burrow's conditions of release on bond, Hogeboom asked U.S. District Judge Glen Conrad that Burrow not be allowed to contact former members and employees of the D-Day foundation board, who could be called as witnesses in the case. Conrad filled in for federal judge James Turk, who was in Harrisonburg on another matter, and will preside over the case.

    But Burrow's attorney, John Lichtenstein, argued that Burrow had ongoing projects with former associates who had nothing to do with the case.

    Conrad ruled that Burrow could still see those people, as long as they did not talk about the case.

    Hogeboom and federal prosecutor Tom Bondurant declined to comment on the case after the hearing. A federal jury in Lynchburg deadlocked on whether to convict Burrow at his first trial in December 2002.

    Lichtenstein said after the hearing that "it's very clear that the government will move tremendous resources behind this prosecution. Richard will keep his head up, keep the faith and keep going."

    Former Roanoke sheriff, city councilman and World War II veteran Alvin Hudson, who attended the hearing along with other Burrow supporters, said before the hearing that he thought the prosecution was a waste of taxpayers' money and that he thought Burrow would be found innocent of the charges.

    "I think he's responsible for building one of the most beautiful war memorials in the country," Hudson said. "All he did was try to get the memorial fixed before the president's arrival."

    President Bush attended the opening of the monument on June 6, 2001.

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