So what's Joe Carson making?

After cross-examining Agent Burns on Tim Willis's compensation, Scholl then went on to discuss Joe Carson's salary.

Scholl has spent most of the afternoon discussing the finances of the operation and when people's service agreements started. His reasoning for doing this will probably be revealed later in the case, but for now we'll continue with Carson.

Mr. Joe Carson (aka Mr. Carol the president of E-Cycle) is a retired agent. He retired in 1998, but still works with the FBI on special projects.

"Agents can only be an agent until age 57," says Burns. "He has a contract of employee."

Carson's Service Agreement (Exhibit 71) says he was paid up to $5,000 a month plus travel expenses for his services. The agreement was signed on March 5, 2004 after E-Cycle began, but they started paying Carson in January 2004.

"I believe we started talking to him in the mid-Fall. He gave us some ideas that were successful in the past," says Burns.

Operation Tennessee Waltz turned out to have more subjects involved in the corruption than the FBI originally in thought. It was then that Carson's role expanded and his compensation increased to $7000 a month.