If it happened, it's news to uf
No. 24 Vol. 96
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•xfc CoUfVlTV PJ.C.
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
McPhatter’s lawyer
wants DA excluded
Thompson says Newton could be a witness,
plans to file motion to seek new prosecutor
13> Vi( roRiANA Summers
Staff writer
Ract\)riJ atloriK’N Gregory Thompson confirmed
yesterday he is filing a motion in Superior Court
this week trr request District Attorney Kristy New
ton and her staff be forbidden from prosecuting the
upcomingemlxYzlement trial of Bernice MePhatter.
“We v\ant a fair and just trial,” Thompson, de
fense attorney for MePhatter, said. “Mrs. Newton is
going to be served a subpoena.
“She could be a potential witness in the case for
the defen.se.'■
Thompson declined to say why Newton would
be considered key among witnesses called on be
half of MePhatter.
When filed. Thompson s motion w'ill not be
heard until the next session of Superior Court on
September 22. Superior Court Judge Jack Thomp
son. presiding on the bench until December, will
evaluate the merits of Thompson’s request.
Newton has been preparing for the October 6
trial in lloke'sSiiperiorCourtof McPhattcr.former
county manager, on allegations that she embezzled
$264,347.40 of county funds. Close to 40 witnesses
for the prosecution have already been subpoenaed
by Newton.
When contacted. Newton declined to comment
at this time. Last month. Newton announced she
would be the sole prosecutor to try the MePhatter
case.
According to the pending motion, Thompson is
requesting that Newton be specifically “disquali
fied” to prosecute the case as well as the assistant
district attorneys employed in District 16A, which
covers Scotland and Hoke counties.
MePhatter. who simultaneously served as Hoke
county manager and finance director, is charged
with four counts of embezzlement for allegedly
stealing county moneys between July 1444 and
November 2()()(). and 64 counts of alleged forgery
and uttering.
Asset forth in the motion. Thompson is alleging
during the course of Newton's criminal invc.stiga-
tion of MePhatter that she obtained information
concerning the possible “misconduct” of other
county employees. The motion also alleges New
ton examined possible illegal activities by these
employees, who remained unnamed publicly.
The motion being filed in an attempt to dis
qualify New ton as prosecutor also refers to meet
ings that allegedly took place between “certain”
commissioners and separately with County Attor
ney Neil Yarborough with her prior to McPhatter’s
resignation. These meetings occurred prior to the
indictments handed down against MePhatter and
preceded the SBI criminal inquiry. Thompson thinks
the prosecution of the case may be somewhat tainted
because ofthe alleged internal speculation of county
officials whoallegedly soughtadvice from Newton
without first entering into an official SBI probe.
Thompson’s written request to the court will
allege that Newton would not be able to “dis
charge” her duties "impartially” because of her
close involvement to the case and being acquainted
with numerous citizens being called as witnesses.
McPhatter’s impending trial was preceded by a
lO-month investigation by the State Bureau of
Investigation. Upon examination of the SBI’s find
ings, Newton presented reeommendations in Au
gust 2002 for indictments on alleged embezzle
ment, forgery and uttering against MePhatter. The
Grand Jurv approved these indictments leading to
{See MCPflA TTFR TRIAL page 3A)
Michael Maurice "Pistol” Monroe is transferred to a federal prison after being served warrants by the
U.S. Marshal’s office.
Suspected drug kingpin
moved to federal prison
11
By Victorian-v Summi rs
Staff writer
Suspected drug kingpin Michael Maurice
“Pistol” Monroe was transported to federal prison
last week on more narcotics charges stemming
from an alleged drug conspiracy, according to
Sheriff Hubert Peterkin.
Monroe was arrested in July by the Hoke
Sheriff’s Office during a multi-task force drug
raid. He was detained in the Hoke County Jail on
a $ I million secured bond where he faced charges
for alleged drug trafficking. On Friday, Monroe
was transported to a High Point federal deten
tion facility to await a trial that will be pros
ecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An additional federal warrant was served last
week by the U.S. Marshal’s office. The addi
tional charges were filed by the U.S. Depart
ment of Justice, accusing Monroe of allegedly
conspiring to distribute cocaine base (crack)
and distribution of crack cocaine.
“His arrest on a federal level without bond is
a direct result of a joint major drug bust we
initiated almost two months ago with the coop
eration ofthe Raeford Police Department,” Sher
iff Hubert Peterkin said. “This investigation is
{See SUSPECTED KINGPIN, page 7A)
Ashley Heights exec stole $1 million in straw
Phil Diehl
remembered
1B
V ‘ *
Burlington helps
Pillowtex jobless
] *
Soldier dies
in burning truck
Bucks win
in football thriller
" 4 A
Births 2B
Busioess/Fcirm 3B
Cnlendnr 2B
Classifieds 4-5B
Deaths 6A
Editorials 2A
Legals 3B
Public Record 6A
Religion 8A
Sc hools 2B
Sports 4-5A
Hoke’s top stories
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www.thenews-journal.com
By Victoriana Suvimi ks
Staff writer
A formergeneral manager of Southland
Pine Needles in Ashley Heights was con
victed of a $1.1 million embezzlement
scheme by a Guilford County Superior
Court last week.
“James Jordan Cobb III was a trusted
employee, but there were no “checks and
balances,” to stop his illegal activities,”
said Sherry Augustin, a Southland em
ployee whose suspicions led to Cobb’s
arrest. “He was fired after the company
found out w'hat he had done.
"The embezzlement was discovered
after a Cary customer informed the
Greensboro office that Mr. Cobb was
selling pine straw directly to them,” she
said.
“Southern Importersdid not know about
the customer.”
Cobb, a Pinchurst resident and also
former part owner of Southland, pleaded
guilty to misappropriating company. In
what was one of the largest embezzle
ment scams in Hoke County’s history, the
fraud scheme was also the largest ever
prosecuted in Guilford, headquarters of
Southland’s parent company. Southern
Importers.
Cobb was sentenced up to 10 years in
the N.C. Department of Correction after
charges of corporate malfeasance and
embezzlement were consolidated. He was
also ordered by Superior Court Judge
Meizcr A. Morgan Jr. to pay $135,400 in
restitution for the crimes he committed.
Cobb apologized to the court for his
behavior, according to Augustin, who was
required to testify for the prosecution.
She said Cobb requested the judge to
temporarily release him so he could take
care of his personal affairs prior to serv
ing his sentence.
“The judge denied his request,”
Augustin said.
In 1999, Augustin told a Southern
Importers executive she thought “some
thing was not right” and Cobb might be
doi ng some t h i ng i 1 legal. However, no one
responded to her concerns until May of
2001 when an investigation was launched.
Greensboro-based executives traced four
bank accounts established by Cobb. At
four different banks in Moore County,
Cobb was funneling company profits into
his own accounts unbeknownst to South
ern Importers, a fraud accountant testi-
(See EMBEZZLED, page 7A)
County to crack down on waste dumping, littering
By VirroRiANA Summi rs
Staff writer
Trash dumpers and litter bugs beware!
The solid waste ordinance is being re
written by Solid Waste Director Don
Russell. The board of comm issioners wi II
be able to utilize an improved ordinance
to enforce solid waste violations that re
quire court action or ticketing for viola
tions, according to Commission Chair
man Bobby Wright.
To prevent people from dumping refuse
around the county, the board also unani
mously approved deputizing solid waste
officer David Smith. Not only will Smith
patrol, he will wear an official Hoke
Sheriff’s Department badge, carry a
weapon, and ride in an official patrol
vehicle with blue lights and a siren.
“A judge said we need a policy so
people can be prosecuted forthrowingout
their trash,” Wright said. “We have had
complaints from citizens about people
dumping trash on their property.
“This will help to clean up the county.”
Commissioner Jean Powell agreed with
Wright, saying it will be a good thing to
improve the ordinance and have Smith
report to the Hoke Sheriff’s Office to
interact with solid waste.
“1 hear a lot of problems about trash
being dumped,” Powell said. “It is frus
trating.”
Commission Vice Chairman Charles
V. Daniels also supported the new policy
and Smith’s patrolling.
“I think a badge and a gun has an
impact,” Daniels said. “I have also heard
we have some problems with our
junkyards that need to be cleared up.”
Smith thanked the board for the oppor
tunity of allowing him to enforce the solid
(See LITTERING, page 5A)
rrhc News-1 lournal
News
OLh|^
stuff
niT
By Ken MacDonald
General Manager
They say a 16-foot Hobie sail
boat will do eight knots in a 25
m.p.h. wind w'ithout any sails -
just from the wind pushing the
mast alone. That’s what 1 was
thinking about as 1 tried to make
this 6’5” body push a 3()-y ear-
old Schwinn bicycle through a
headwind Monday during the
Toure De Moore bike race in
Southern Pines. Do shorter
people have tocontend with such
problems?
Then there’s that 30-year-old
bicycle issue. I bought that bike
when I was a sophomore in high
school to replace another that
had been stolen. The first’s
odometer indicated more than
10.000 mile.s, mostly racked up
ridi ng around Raeford in the days
before I finally turned 16andgot
(See OTHER STUFF, page 7A)
K-9 Graduates
Shown after graduation from
the K-9 academy in Fayetteville
are Corporal Whiteford
Johnson ofthe Hoke Sheriffs
Office accompanied by "An
gel," a Dutch shepherd; SgL
Tracy Campbell, Fayetteville
Police Department K-9 team
leader and training supervi
sor; Tonnie Boeijen, owner
and supervisor of Four Winds
Policedog Center in The Neth
erlands; Hoke Chief Deputy
Troy McDuffie and Corporal
Joseph Snowden ofthe Sheriff s
Office with "Aron," a Belgium
Mallinoir. Angel and Aron re-
cendy joined the new Hoke
Sheriff s Office K-9 squad.
JO{ i
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