SYLACAUGA — The attorney for a recently arrested assistant district attorney in Coosa County stated his client “looks forward to proving his innocence.”

Authorities charged Frank Teel, a Sylacauga resident who also practices law in Rockford, and Gadsden lawyer Frank Bailey, 58, with extortion, bribery and ethics violations on Wednesday.

Teel’s attorney, Rod Giddens of Sylacauga, spoke on his client’s behalf in response to news reports and information released by Attorney General Troy King’s office.

Giddens said Teel, 59, and Bailey represented Roger Firestone of Etowah County in a civil claim against Carl Weaver of Gadsden. Giddens also said the two attorneys attempted to settle the claim through Weaver’s attorney, Jay Stover.

“The facts are being portrayed that Frank Teel tried to extort $5 million out of someone, when he was counter-offering an offer made by (Stover) for $3.5 million,” Giddens said.

Giddens said the initial offer made by Teel and Bailey of $7 million was countered by the $3.5 million offer from Stover. Giddens possessed a document from Stover’s law firm confirming the amount.

“It is basically a letter from (Stover) wherein they submit a draft proposal, settlement agreement and mutual release,” Giddens said. “Any type settlement needed to be in writing. And this draft set out a proposal where Mr. Weaver will pay a total of $3.5 million over a period of five years. That was coming from them.”

Giddens said the claim centered on an incident at a Weogufka hunting camp in May 1995, where Firestone and two other men were bound and severely burned.

Firestone was the lone survivor of the three. Weaver was not one of the men indicted for the crimes by a grand jury in November.

But the attorney general’s office release from Thursday stated Teel and Bailey were handling a civil lawsuit against a man who could face capital murder charges.

According to Giddens, Teel and Stover met at Stover's office May 19 with an agreed settlement of $5 million to be paid in a five-year span. Stover, with Weaver's approval, paid the first $1 million installment by a check from Stover's trust account made out to the Teel and Teel law firm.

The release stated agents from the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the attorney general’s office arrested Teel and Bailey after they accepted a check for $1 million.

Giddens said, among the “disclosures and acknowledgments” of the settlement agreement, it was stated Teel represented Firestone civilly and was not acting as a prosecutor in the criminal matter.

He said it was also stated Teel and Bailey could not control whether Weaver was charged with a crime related to the events in May 1995 involving Firestone or the two other men.

Giddens said no paperwork on the civil suit had been filed with the court system. But he said it was common for a negotiation to begin in a claim before documents are submitted.

“A lot of times parties will engage in negotiations prior to (filing),” Giddens said. “They will say, ‘We are going to show you a courtesy copy. This is the complaint we are going to file if we cannot agree.’”

Stover said Thursday he and Weaver had been cooperating with law enforcement on the matter for several months and would continue to do so. On Monday, Stover clarified that he and his client brought the matter to the authorities’ attention.

Stover said he did not want to comment further on the ongoing investigation.

The attorney general’s office release stated officials charged Teel with second-degree extortion and accepting a bribe, both Class C felonies. He also was charged with intentional use of his public position for unlawful personal gain, a Class B felony.

The charges alleged he used threats to extort $1 million from Stover and Weaver. Also, it alleged Teel agreed to accept $5 million to use his position to prevent the indictment of Weaver.

Bailey was charged with aiding and abetting Teel in all counts. Giddens said Teel’s initial hearing in Etowah County District Court was scheduled for June 15.