Howard Kieffer, who founded the BOP Watch listserve on prison issues, has been convicted by a federal jury on charges of mail fraud and false statements in impersonating a lawyer. Kieffer, 54, of Duluth, Mn., was found guilty in Bismarck, N.D., the Associated Press reports.
Federal prosecutor David Hagler said Kieffer made his own rules and befriended reputable attorneys because “he needed to use them” to vouch for him in applying to practice law. Prosecutors called two witnesses who said they paid Kieffer at least $20,000 to appeal prison sentences for their loved ones, only to find out later he was not an attorney.