Gov. Mike Easley’s former right-hand-man, Ruffin Poole, made his first appearance in federal court today on charges stemming from his close ties to the embattled former governor.

FBI and IRS agents shepherded a handcuffed Poole — who served for years as the ex-governor’s attorney and aide — through the back entrance of the federal courthouse in Raleigh around 11:45 a.m. Two hours later, he appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle to hear charges that, if convicted, could amount to years in jail and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

Boyle released Poole on a standard $50,000 unsecured bond and told him to surrender his passport; restrict his travel to North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland; and turn in any firearms he owns. The next order of business, Boyle said, is to arrange a pretrial scheduling order.

Poole left the courthouse with his lawyer and wife shortly afterward, declining to comment on the case.

Former federal prosecutor Kieran Shanahan attended the hearing and spoke to reporters afterward. He gave the federal government high marks for its indictment.

“In terms of having a governor on trial, you want to have somebody like Ruffin Poole who’s on the inside giving actual live testimony,” Shanahan said. “So, assuming the facts bear out that former Gov. Easley was involved, Ruffin Poole would certainly be a blow to any defense that Easley might have to offer.”

Poole has become a central figure in state and federal probes into Easley’s business and personal dealings while in office. As one of the former governor’s closest aides, the Raleigh lawyer played an instrumental role in brokering many of the deals that have caught investigators’ attention.

Poole dodged testimony before the State Board of Elections about his relationship with Easley twice — once in October by convincing a superior court judge to quash a subpoena, and again in December by relying on his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

On Jan. 21, Poole was indicted by a federal grand jury on 51 corruption counts, including extortion, bribery, racketeering, and money laundering. The 64-page indictment specifically claims Poole derived significant personal benefits by using his official position to expedite environmental permits for coastal developers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In his role in Easley’s office, Poole became familiar with political supporters who needed assistance with regulatory matters pending before various state agencies. He allegedly accepted gifts and perks from individuals who had business before the state.

The indictment alleges, for example, that Wilmington financier Lanny Wilson gave Poole several free vacations to Costa Rica, a bachelor party in New Orleans, and an engagement party in Wilmington.

Wilson also allowed Poole to invest in two coastal developments that netted Poole $55,000 in a short period of time, the indictment says.

Poole failed to disclose any of the gifts and financial gains on his Statement of Economic Interest, as required by law.

Wilson has resigned from two posts — one on the state Board of Transportation, the other on the N.C. Turnpike Authority board — in the wake of the investigation.

Shanahan said that Easley is “unquestionably” still the primary target of the investigation, despite the laundry list of charges against Poole.

“If he cooperates, his sentence is going to be basically determined [by] the level of his cooperation,” he said. “If he can help the government secure a conviction, that’ll substantially reduce his sentence.”

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal. CJ Associate Editor Sara Burrows assisted in reporting this story.