Funny, according to this Article they all belong to a Haywood County Democratic Men’s group, and I see nothing about any of them being Republicans...
http://citizen-times.com/article/20080506/NEWS01/80505141 On Oct 8, 5:55 pm, wncs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > But it does get punished, sometimes. Former Republican sheriff gets 15 > years for corruption in office: > Medford trial details millions made in gambling > ASHEVILLE--The federal government on Tuesday wrapped up the long- > running corruption investigation that netted Buncombe County's former > sheriff and four of his top deputies. > > U.S. District Court Judge Tim Ellis sentenced former reserve Capt. Guy > Kenneth Penland, 77, to five years in prison. He sentenced former Lt. > Ronnie Eugene “Butch” Davis to a little more than three years. > > “I am very sorry at the age that I am that I got into this,” Penland > said in court. “I hurt my family, I hurt the court and I hurt the law > that I love so much.” > > Former Sheriff Bobby Medford was sentenced to 15 years in prison > Monday for taking bribes totaling more than $300,000 from illegal > gambling operators. His attorneys said Tuesday Medford would appeal > the sentence. > > Former Lt. John David “Johnny” Harrison was sentenced to two 1/2 years > Monday. > > With those disgraced former law enforcement officers bound for prison, > most of Tuesday in federal court was spent sentencing the men who made > millions of dollars on illegal video gambling rackets. > > Stunning flows of cash > > The first revelation of the stunning amount of money being made in > illegal video gambling came in a raid at the home of Demetre “Jimmy > the Greek” Theodossis. > > FBI and state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents found $1.7 million in > cash throughout his log home and in a well and dog kennels on the > property during a November 2006 raid. > > FBI and state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents found $1.7 million in > cash throughout his log home and in a well and dog kennels on the > property during a November 2006 raid. > > Federal investigators say the money came from illegal video gambling > machines at his Hot Dog King restaurants and in other gambling houses > he ran. > > He paid the government $4.1 million in back taxes and gambling > proceeds, his attorney said. > > Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards said in court Tuesday that > Theodossis cooperated immediately and gave the government its first > look at the bribery racket that would later bring down Medford. > > “He was the first insider who did the hand-to-hand payments to these > people,” Edwards said. > > Theodossis, 59, jumped off a Greek Navy ship in New Jersey in 1973 and > later became a U.S. citizen. He was sentenced Tuesday to one month in > prison, three years of community confinement and eight months > probation. > > Friend and ally > > Theodossis knew Medford through business. > > Jack W. “Jackie” Shepherd, also sentenced Tuesday, was a longtime > friend and political ally. > > Shepherd, 63, had to pay the government a little more than $1 million > in back taxes and gambling revenue. > > During trial, Shepherd said he tapped Medford to run for sheriff in > 1994 because he was unhappy that then- Sheriff Charlie Long was > investigating his businesses. > > He apologized Tuesday to the people who spent their paychecks > gambling. > > “Most of all I would like to apologize to the victims who put their > money into the machines I was involved in,” he said. > > North Carolina barred cash payouts from video poker-machines, and made > them illegal altogether in July 2007. But businesses across the region > kept the machines in back rooms that were turned into small > underground casinos. > > Shepherd got two years of probation and four months of community > confinement, which most likely will be spent at a halfway house. > > As part of his sentence he'll have to spend 25 hours talking to youth > about his crimes and report back to the judge about the lectures. > > Another friend, long-time gambling operator Jim Lindsey was sentenced > to five months in prison, three years probation and five months > community confinement. > > He once paid Medford $6,000 to move machines into a store occupied by > a rival. > > He'd known Medford for 30 years. The two met on the job when Lindsey > was the assistant chief deputy of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office > under Sheriff Harry Clay. > > He got out of the gambling business in 1995 but continued to pay > bribes to help his sons, who took it over, he said in court. > > His sons were spared charges as part of his plea deal. > > “What I did, I did do it,” he said. “I know what I did was wrong. I > would like to apologize to my family. I have hurt my church. I am > sorry for what I did.” > > Son spared > > In an example of illegal video gambling's reach, Tuesday's sentencings > also included video poker operator Charles McBennett Sr. of Haywood > County. > > He pleaded guilty in a deal that spared his son charges. > > The judge said his statement to the court, called “allocution” in the > federal system, was the most eloquent he had heard. > > McBennett told the court he feels that his time running illegal > machines “erased everything in my life,” including his former career > as a vice president of a textile business – a job he got by working > his way up from the bottom. > > “I got into (video poker) to help my son,” he said. “I stayed in it > because of the money. I am sorry. I have embarrassed my family. > Whatever you do to me, I deserve it.” > > McBennett, whose attorney told the court he was worth $1.1 million, > got two years in prison, two months community confinement and, like > Shepherd, must spend 25 hours talking to youth about his crimes. > > He thanked the judge for the sentence. > “I feel like this is a way to help me get over what I have done,” he > said. > > A fair punishment > > At least one Medford's former crew sentenced Tuesday shared that > sentiment. > > Penland had family members say outside court they thought his five- > year sentence was fair. > > The former reserve captain collected money for Medford and worked for > an illegal gambling company setting up new locations for video poker > machines while serving as a volunteer deputy. > > Davis, the former lieutenant, had nothing to say to the court. Members > of his family cried as the judged handed down the sentence. > > He was the deputy over video poker registration starting in 2005 and > organized Medford's twice annual golf tournaments. Video poker > operators were made to contribute cash to the tournaments, according > to court testimony, for fear they would be shut down if they didn't. > > In all, 28 people charged in the government's wide-ranging > investigation have now been sentenced, with the last facing the judge > Tuesday. > > A string of people who cooperated with the investigation are due in > court today and Thursday as prosecutors asks that their sentences be > reduced. > > http://www.citizen-times.com/article/2008810090301 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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