Jurors See Photos of Scrushy’s Purchases

Jurors got a photographic tour of Richard Scrushy’s lavish toys Thursday, including a nearly $330,000 Rolls Royce, a 42-foot boat and other flashy assets that prosecutors contend the former chief executive bought with money made from a $2.7-billion fraud at HealthSouth Corp.

Government consultant William Bavis testified that the fired CEO purchased a 1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Phaeton and six other vintage cars -- plus three bronze yard statues -- for $302,950.

That was less than the $329,062 Scrushy paid for his 2000 Rolls Royce Corniche, Bavis said. And Scrushy spent $45,000 for armor plating for a pair of GMC Yukons he purchased for a total of $79,000.

Scrushy paid $266,323 for the 42-foot Lightning boat, Bavis said, and he spent $214,323 for a 38-foot Intrepid cabin cruiser. Both were small compared with Scrushy’s 92-foot yacht, Chez Soiree, which jurors weren’t shown.

Jurors at the federal courthouse in Birmingham, Ala., also didn’t see a photo of the 21.8-carat diamond ring Scrushy bought for $370,000 for wife Leslie. The ring really cost $428,000, but Scrushy got a $58,000 trade-in on a necklace, Bavis said.

Bavis testified that, in all, Scrushy got $249 million from bonuses and stock sales that could be linked to the fraud, and he received an additional 2.8 million shares of HealthSouth worth more than $15 million.

Although U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre repeatedly has told jurors the trial isn’t about Scrushy’s vast wealth, she overruled defense objections and let the jury see photos of his riches as prosecutors tried to prove money-laundering charges.

The government contends that Scrushy made millions by directing a long-running fraud at HealthSouth and laundered the money through the purchase of cars, boats, art, jewelry, homes, land and other assets.

The defense claims that subordinates committed the fraud on their own and lied to Scrushy to conceal it.