Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Sheriff Gerald Hege pleads guilty to felonies
77 views
Skip to first unread message
GLC1173
May 18, 2004, 10:36:47 AM5/18/04
to
Yesterday, the bizarre career of Davidson County, North Carolina sheriff
Gerald Hege finally ended - with him quitting as part of a plea bargain that
got him probation. He had been indicted on numerous felony charges last year -
with his worst problem being embezzlement charges, not the cowboyish stuff that
made him famous.
In the end, it wasn't his paramilitary garb, his fondness for going out in
public with automatic weapons, his Christmas card saying "Happy Ramadan" as he
held a sword in one hand and Osama bin Laden's head in the other, his weekly TV
and radio shows, his speeding 143 mph for the fun of it, or his painting the
jail pink that did him in - just ordinary stealing.
From today's Greensboro News & Record, below:
=========================================================
LEXINGTON -- Despite all the allegations that Davidson County Sheriff Gerald
Hege ordered prisoner abuse, promoted racial profiling, recklessly drove his
sheriff's car and misused county personnel and equipment, it was Hege's
attempts to cover up money missing from the department's vice and narcotics
unit that sealed his fate.
Former Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege appears in court Monday in
Lexington. At right is his wife, Geri Hege. (AP Photo/David Rolfe, Pool)
Hege, who dubbed himself "America's toughest sheriff," abruptly surrendered his
job without a fight Monday by pleading guilty to two counts of obstruction of
justice and resigning from office.
Hege's decision effectively ended his nine-year reign over a county he'd helped
put on the map with his eccentricity: pink jail cells, paramilitary garb and
media grandstanding.
Some believe it was the Republican sheriff's tough-guy image that made him
political enemies -- and brought about his eventual downfall.
The case against Hege stemmed from a State Bureau of Investigation probe that
involved the sworn testimony of 28 of his own employees -- including two top
supervisors.
The obstruction of justice convictions stemmed from statements from those two
supervisors, Maj. Brad Glisson and former Chief Deputy Danny Owens.
One charge involved Hege's refusal in 1998 to order an internal investigation
after $4,100 seized during a drug bust went missing.
Hege told Glisson at the time that he didn't trust his own investigators not to
talk to the district attorney, whom Hege believed would ask for an SBI probe at
a time when Hege was running for re-election, according to Glisson's affidavit.
"After the general election I returned to the sheriff to inquire if the matter
would be investigated," Glisson later told investigators. "The sheriff told me
to forget about the matter."
The other charge stemmed from Hege's attempt last June to cover up $2,000 taken
from the vice fund, according to Special Deputy Attorney General Pat Murphy,
who was in charge of the criminal case against the sheriff.
The money had been used to repay a sheriff's office receptionist, Martha
Clodfelter, who had bought a plane ticket in late 2002 or early 2003, said
Murphy in court Monday. The ticket was for a man, Gary McGill, whom Hege had
hired as a dog training expert, to return home to Australia because of
immigration problems, Murphy said. Hege told Glisson and Owens to pay back
Clodfelter with $2,000 from the vice fund.
However, after the SBI probe into Hege's office became public June 10, 2003,
Hege took Glisson aside privately weeks later and handed him an envelope
containing $2,000 to replace the vice funds, Murphy said.
"I became angry because I believed that Sheriff Hege had just gotten me
involved with trying to cover for him in the misuse of some vice money,"
Glisson told the SBI.
On Sept. 2, a grand jury indicted Hege on 15 felony counts including
obstruction of justice and embezzlement. Thirteen days later, the indictments
were unsealed and Hege was suspended from office, pending a hearing to
determine his fitness for office.
That hearing was delayed several times before Superior Court Judge W. Erwin
Spainhour postponed it indefinitely pending the resolution of an appeal by
Hege's attorneys.
This spring, after Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank agreed to turn
over to defense lawyers all evidence in the case, the removal hearing was
scheduled for Monday and was expected to last several weeks and involve at
least 60 witnesses.
But early Monday, Hege, 55, struck a plea bargain with prosecutors that forced
him to resign, pay restitution of $6,200 to Davidson County and spend three
years on intensive probation, including the first three months on electronic
house arrest.
Though the felony obstruction of justice charges carried a maximum 30 months of
prison on each count, the plea bargain consolidated the charges and left the
maximum sentence at six months. Spainhour chose to suspend the sentence.
With a felony record, Hege can no longer serve as a sheriff or police officer.
The sheriff, with his wife, Geri, sitting behind him at the defense table, did
not address the charges in court.
The remaining 13 charges against Hege will be dismissed.
"When you are the leader of anything, you are the man to take it on the chin,"
Hege told Spainhour during the hearing. "When that happens, I accept my
responsibility."
Afterward, Senior Deputy Attorney General James J. Coman issued a statement:
"The sheriff abused the trust that the people of Davidson County placed in him.
It was critical to the interest of justice that we make sure he was removed
from office and that he be a convicted felon."
Prosecutor Garry Frank, who was elected with Hege's help, said he was aware
there were ongoing negotiations between Hege's attorneys and state prosecutors
and that he was satisfied with the outcome.
Hege, who leaned down and embraced and kissed his wife when the hearing
concluded, made no public comments afterward. One of his attorney's, Walt
Jones, said Hege had asked his defense team not to make any statements.
On Monday, Davidson County commissioners and the county's Republican Executive
Committee quickly went to work to appoint a new sheriff.
Committee Chairman David Rickard of Thomasville said the committee will accept
resumes for the job during the next seven days before making a choice.
Commissioners Chairman Fred Sink of Lexington said he thought Hege made the
right choice in resigning.
Added Commissioner Don Truell, a Hege supporter, "I wasn't expecting it. I
think it is a relief to everybody that it is over so quickly.''
Hans Mose, a Republican precinct chairman in Denton, was glad to see Hege
resign. "Why didn't he do it before? It is the best solution for the
(Republican) party and for the county."
Whoever becomes sheriff will be making about $20,000 less than Hege was paid as
sheriff.
Commissioners met Monday and not only accepted Hege's resignation but also cut
the salary for the sheriff's job to $70,298.
Dallas Hedrick, a veteran deputy who has been acting sheriff since Hege was
indicted, is interested in the job. So are Glenn Myers, 51, the county's chief
probation officer, and David Grice, 54, a community college instructor.
Myers, who has nearly 27 years as a state employee, said people in the
sheriff's department and "in politics'' have encouraged him to seek the job.
Grice, an instructor in criminal justice at Davidson County Community College
and a part-time policeman in Denton, worked for Sink when he was sheriff, and
twice was the GOP's unsuccessful candidate for sheriff.
Gerald Hege finally ended - with him quitting as part of a plea bargain that
got him probation. He had been indicted on numerous felony charges last year -
with his worst problem being embezzlement charges, not the cowboyish stuff that
made him famous.
In the end, it wasn't his paramilitary garb, his fondness for going out in
public with automatic weapons, his Christmas card saying "Happy Ramadan" as he
held a sword in one hand and Osama bin Laden's head in the other, his weekly TV
and radio shows, his speeding 143 mph for the fun of it, or his painting the
jail pink that did him in - just ordinary stealing.
From today's Greensboro News & Record, below:
=========================================================
LEXINGTON -- Despite all the allegations that Davidson County Sheriff Gerald
Hege ordered prisoner abuse, promoted racial profiling, recklessly drove his
sheriff's car and misused county personnel and equipment, it was Hege's
attempts to cover up money missing from the department's vice and narcotics
unit that sealed his fate.
Former Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege appears in court Monday in
Lexington. At right is his wife, Geri Hege. (AP Photo/David Rolfe, Pool)
Hege, who dubbed himself "America's toughest sheriff," abruptly surrendered his
job without a fight Monday by pleading guilty to two counts of obstruction of
justice and resigning from office.
Hege's decision effectively ended his nine-year reign over a county he'd helped
put on the map with his eccentricity: pink jail cells, paramilitary garb and
media grandstanding.
Some believe it was the Republican sheriff's tough-guy image that made him
political enemies -- and brought about his eventual downfall.
The case against Hege stemmed from a State Bureau of Investigation probe that
involved the sworn testimony of 28 of his own employees -- including two top
supervisors.
The obstruction of justice convictions stemmed from statements from those two
supervisors, Maj. Brad Glisson and former Chief Deputy Danny Owens.
One charge involved Hege's refusal in 1998 to order an internal investigation
after $4,100 seized during a drug bust went missing.
Hege told Glisson at the time that he didn't trust his own investigators not to
talk to the district attorney, whom Hege believed would ask for an SBI probe at
a time when Hege was running for re-election, according to Glisson's affidavit.
"After the general election I returned to the sheriff to inquire if the matter
would be investigated," Glisson later told investigators. "The sheriff told me
to forget about the matter."
The other charge stemmed from Hege's attempt last June to cover up $2,000 taken
from the vice fund, according to Special Deputy Attorney General Pat Murphy,
who was in charge of the criminal case against the sheriff.
The money had been used to repay a sheriff's office receptionist, Martha
Clodfelter, who had bought a plane ticket in late 2002 or early 2003, said
Murphy in court Monday. The ticket was for a man, Gary McGill, whom Hege had
hired as a dog training expert, to return home to Australia because of
immigration problems, Murphy said. Hege told Glisson and Owens to pay back
Clodfelter with $2,000 from the vice fund.
However, after the SBI probe into Hege's office became public June 10, 2003,
Hege took Glisson aside privately weeks later and handed him an envelope
containing $2,000 to replace the vice funds, Murphy said.
"I became angry because I believed that Sheriff Hege had just gotten me
involved with trying to cover for him in the misuse of some vice money,"
Glisson told the SBI.
On Sept. 2, a grand jury indicted Hege on 15 felony counts including
obstruction of justice and embezzlement. Thirteen days later, the indictments
were unsealed and Hege was suspended from office, pending a hearing to
determine his fitness for office.
That hearing was delayed several times before Superior Court Judge W. Erwin
Spainhour postponed it indefinitely pending the resolution of an appeal by
Hege's attorneys.
This spring, after Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank agreed to turn
over to defense lawyers all evidence in the case, the removal hearing was
scheduled for Monday and was expected to last several weeks and involve at
least 60 witnesses.
But early Monday, Hege, 55, struck a plea bargain with prosecutors that forced
him to resign, pay restitution of $6,200 to Davidson County and spend three
years on intensive probation, including the first three months on electronic
house arrest.
Though the felony obstruction of justice charges carried a maximum 30 months of
prison on each count, the plea bargain consolidated the charges and left the
maximum sentence at six months. Spainhour chose to suspend the sentence.
With a felony record, Hege can no longer serve as a sheriff or police officer.
The sheriff, with his wife, Geri, sitting behind him at the defense table, did
not address the charges in court.
The remaining 13 charges against Hege will be dismissed.
"When you are the leader of anything, you are the man to take it on the chin,"
Hege told Spainhour during the hearing. "When that happens, I accept my
responsibility."
Afterward, Senior Deputy Attorney General James J. Coman issued a statement:
"The sheriff abused the trust that the people of Davidson County placed in him.
It was critical to the interest of justice that we make sure he was removed
from office and that he be a convicted felon."
Prosecutor Garry Frank, who was elected with Hege's help, said he was aware
there were ongoing negotiations between Hege's attorneys and state prosecutors
and that he was satisfied with the outcome.
Hege, who leaned down and embraced and kissed his wife when the hearing
concluded, made no public comments afterward. One of his attorney's, Walt
Jones, said Hege had asked his defense team not to make any statements.
On Monday, Davidson County commissioners and the county's Republican Executive
Committee quickly went to work to appoint a new sheriff.
Committee Chairman David Rickard of Thomasville said the committee will accept
resumes for the job during the next seven days before making a choice.
Commissioners Chairman Fred Sink of Lexington said he thought Hege made the
right choice in resigning.
Added Commissioner Don Truell, a Hege supporter, "I wasn't expecting it. I
think it is a relief to everybody that it is over so quickly.''
Hans Mose, a Republican precinct chairman in Denton, was glad to see Hege
resign. "Why didn't he do it before? It is the best solution for the
(Republican) party and for the county."
Whoever becomes sheriff will be making about $20,000 less than Hege was paid as
sheriff.
Commissioners met Monday and not only accepted Hege's resignation but also cut
the salary for the sheriff's job to $70,298.
Dallas Hedrick, a veteran deputy who has been acting sheriff since Hege was
indicted, is interested in the job. So are Glenn Myers, 51, the county's chief
probation officer, and David Grice, 54, a community college instructor.
Myers, who has nearly 27 years as a state employee, said people in the
sheriff's department and "in politics'' have encouraged him to seek the job.
Grice, an instructor in criminal justice at Davidson County Community College
and a part-time policeman in Denton, worked for Sink when he was sheriff, and
twice was the GOP's unsuccessful candidate for sheriff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<B>Dissident news - plus immigration, gun rights, nationwide weather
<I><A HREF="http://www.alamanceind.com">ALAMANCE INDEPENDENT:
official newspaper of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy</A></b></i>
0 new messages