The foreign-trade-zone episode was only one of many attempts by Price to slow down the Inland Port. Later, by joining forces with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Morning News, Price squeezed off key revenue and infrastructure for the Inland Port, in part by accusing Allen and Co. of racism.
The Inland Port situation is one of many cited in the affidavit in which Nealy and others passed money to Price. It looks as if all of these instances will be woven together in what used to be called a "net worth" IRS case. The government totes up all of the money that flows into and out of Price's hands, comes up with a number for his cash flow, then compares that with his declared income. The payments cited from Hillwood are part of $2 million the FBI says Nealy collected from clients with business before the county commissioners.
Alex Scott
John Wiley Price, do you hear a clock ticking?
Related Content
More About
Knowledgeable sources, whose information is supported by the affidavit, tell me that Nealy often delivered cash to Price. When FBI people raided his home safe last year, they found some of that cash still wrapped in time-and-date-stamped paper bands that link the cash directly to Nealy's original bank transactions.
The affidavit quoted here was filed in a federal civil action aimed at allowing the government to keep possession of $229,590 in cash seized from Price's safe and another $230,763 seized from a real estate transaction. In about two months from now, defense lawyers will be able to file demands for information from the government about its civil case. The government will not want to answer those interrogatories.
The assumption among people I talk to is that the indictments are now less than two months away. Once those come down, the civil case will be put on hold.
Allen and Co. eventually emerged from federal bankruptcy proceedings. The Inland Port project in Dallas is still under way, and backers hope it will regain momentum as the economy improves.
Meanwhile, the billions of dollars in public infrastructure that Hillwood hoped to steer its way are already on the ground.
Why was such a vast operation ever worried about a bunch of scrubby land in southern Dallas in 2007? The confluence of highways and rail lines, the tides of international trade and the economy came together in May 2007 to give southern Dallas its one perfect moment to strike.
That chance is gone forever. The federal government will argue that it went into John Wiley Price's pocket.
![Police Say an Asian Massage Parlor and Far North Dallas House are Part of a Massive Prostitution Ring [Updated]](http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/common/assets/707009.75x75.jpg)
