Mingo County Story Archives - Page 10 of 10 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Mingo Circuit Court Judge Post Remains Unfilled

The seat vacated by convicted former Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury remains unfilled more than a month after a deadline under state law to find a replacement.

An advisory panel in December recommended public defenders Teresa McCune and Jonathan Jewell to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin as potential candidates to replace Thornsbury until the May 13 primary election.

Under state law, Tomblin had 30 days after receiving the candidates’ list to make an appointment. The Charleston Gazette reports Friday marked 73 days since that time.

Tomblin spokeswoman Amy Shuler Goodwin didn’t immediately return a telephone message.

Thornsbury pleaded guilty in October to a federal conspiracy charge and resigned. Two judges are temporarily filling in, and four Democrats have filed to run for the seat in the primary.

Sentencing Postponed for Ex-Mingo Prosecutor

A former Mingo County prosecutor’s sentencing in a federal corruption investigation has been pushed back a week.

Michael Sparks will be sentenced March 5 in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Sparks had been scheduled for sentencing next Monday.

Sparks and former Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury were accused of protecting the late Sheriff Eugene Crum from revelations that Crum bought drugs from a campaign sign maker. Authorities said Sparks and Thornsbury kept the sign maker, George White, from talking to the FBI about Crum, who was killed in an unrelated shooting last April.

Last year, Sparks pleaded guilty to depriving White of his constitutional rights and Thornsbury pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive White of his rights.

Thornsbury is set for sentencing on April 21.

State Police Take Over Former Pill Mill, Recieve Cash Proceeds

The Williamson office building that formerly housed a pain clinic is being given to the West Virginia State Police.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said Monday that the agency also will receive $340,000 in cash proceeds forfeited by one of the operators of Mountain Medical Care Clinic.

The pill mill was shut down in 2010 following a federal investigation that ended with several criminal convictions.

Clinic operator Myra Miller was sentenced in September to six months in federal prison for conspiring to misuse a physician’s U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registration number.

Prosecutors say the 50-year-old was involved in a conspiracy to sell narcotic prescriptions to people who didn’t need them.

Sixty-six-year-old Dr. William Ryckman was convicted in 2012 for his role in the conspiracy and sentenced to six months in prison.

Ex-Mingo Magistrate Pleads Guilty to Vote Charge

A former Mingo County magistrate has pleaded guilty to illegally registering a felon to vote in the 2012 primary election.

Dallas Toler entered his plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Charleston. He’s scheduled to be sentenced March 10, 2014.

Toler was accused of knowing in April 2012 that a person known to the U.S. attorney’s office was on probation for a felony at the time the voter registration application was submitted.

He was charged Oct. 9 with falsification or concealment of material facts. He resigned the same day.

Toler had served as magistrate since January 2012. He replaced Eugene Crum, who resigned to focus on his successful campaign for sheriff.

Crum was fatally shot in April as he ate lunch in his car parked in downtown Williamson.

Mingo Co. Commissioner accepts deal, pleads guilty

Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge stemming from a federal investigation into corruption in the county. Baisden agreed to a plea bargain from federal prosecutors and will await his sentencing in January.
“No comment.”

That’s about all Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden had to say as he exited the U.S. District Courthouse in Charleston after pleading guilty to federal charges.

Judge John Copenhaver went over the terms of Baisden’s plea agreement just minutes before he was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. The commissioner’s only other comment was about the people of Mingo County.

“I love them and continue to pray for me. Thank you,” he said as he climbed into the driver’s seat of a pick-up truck.

According to federal sentencing guidelines, Baisden faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for attempting to extort Appalachian Tire, a Williamson business that sold tires at a discounted rate for county owned vehicles.

In June of 2009, Baisden directed a county employee to buy a set of tires at the government price from Appalachian for his wife’s vehicle.

When Appalachian refused, Baisden threatened to take county business to another dealer and made good on the threat when managers at Appalachian didn’t respond to the voicemail left on the store’s answering machine.

“You know, this shows you that elected officials have to play by the same set of rules as everyone else,” U.S. Prosecuting Attorney Booth Goodwin said after the hearing. “What Commissioner Baisden did was abuse his power to shakedown a business for special favors.”

As a part of his plea agreement with Goodwin’s office, Baisden agreed to resign as commissioner before his sentencing date, is banned for life from ever seeking elected office and waived his right to appeal to his sentence.

Goodwin said he also agreed to fully cooperate in any future investigations into corruption in Mingo County by the federal prosecutor’s office, an investigation that is on going.

“Our investigation into Mingo County corruption continues. I would anticipate further developments,” he said.

Baisden’s sentencing is scheduled for January 14 in Charleston. He said he will wait until that day to resign as County Commissioner.

Mingo County Judge Michael Thornsbury is expected to plead guilty to charges stemming from a separate investigation Wednesday, October 2.