Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Kings Mountain Herald | www.kmherald.net
Page 3A
PATRIOT DAY - The Patriot Day observance will be held on the plaza in front of Kings Mountain City Hall, 101 W. Gold Street,
at 12 noon on Wednesday, September 11. Mayor Rick Murphrey is pictured above honoring firemen at the 2012 observance.
Bolin takes the field
Photo by Ellis Noell
Shelby woman pleads guilty in HUD scheme
CHARLOTTE - A for-
mer Shelby realtor pleaded
guilty last Monday to selling
household appliances she
unlawfully removed from
vacant homes owned by the
U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, ac-
cording to the U.S. Attorney
for the Western District of
North Carolina.
Sember Lynn Smathers,
49, formerly of Shelby,
pleaded guilty before U.S.
Magistrate Judge David S.
Cayer to one count of con-
spiracy to steal government
property.
The announcement
comes from Anne M. Tomp-
kins, U.S. Attorney for the
Western District of North
* Carolina, Lester Fernandez,
Special Agent in Charge, Of-
fice of the Inspector General,
and the Office of Investiga-
tion of the Department of
Housing and Urban Devel-
opment.
According to the criminal
indictment and plea agree-
ment, Smathers was a real
estate agent and in that ca-
pacity had access to listings
of vacant HUD real estate
owned properties in Char-
lotte and surrounding com-
munities in North and South
Carolina, including Shelby.
According to court
records,
2008 to July 2009, Smathers
used a master key to enter
the vacant HUD homes and
unlawfully remove appli-
ances — such as refrigerators,
stoves, washers and dryers —
and other items from the
homes. Smathers and her co-
conspirators usually con-
ducted these “clean outs”
one or two times per week.
from September
Court records indicate that
Smathers then sold these
items from her home in
Shelby.
In February 2009, Smath-
ers and a co-conspirator
leased a building in Shelby
and set up a business called
“Cheap Stuff,” from which
they sold the household ap-
pliances as well as clothes
and lawn maintenance
equipment stolen from the
HUD properties. According
to filed documents, Smathers
and another co-conspirator
also maintained a storage
unit in Shelby to store the
stolen appliances, and used
Craig’s List, the Shelby
Shopper and the Shelby Star
to advertise and sell these
appliances. Court records in-
dicate that in one instance,
Smathers and another person
were conducting a “clean
DAVIS: continues to battle against rare disease
From page 1A
said.
Davis has been under extensive care since
questioned Smathers about
winter and has spent much of that time in the
hospital. It was necessary for him to undergo
a round of chemotherapy before the late Au-
gust surgery.
The young fighter, though, has had a lot
of company and support. His mother has
been by his bedside for-months as he and
doctors battle to beat the rare disease that has
made him so sick. His cousin and best friend
Cameron Petti, 9, has also spent many hours
by his bedside, and family. members say that
has gone a long way toward cheering up the
ailing boy. Travis younger sister Trinity, 7,
has also been visiting as much as she can.
Davis’s aunt Tasha Locklear described
her nephew and his mother as “amazing” for
holding up as well as they have.
“He’s one strong kid. (Ashley) has taken
Travis to every doctor’s appointment, which
was three to four times a week, gave him
weekly meds through an IV,” Locklear said
Travis ‘Pig’ Davis continues his brave battle
against a rare immune system disorder.
in an email. “She’s stayed with him at the
hospital every day and night, never leaving
his side, patiently waiting for good news and
for her son to get better.”
Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church held a
fundraising barbecue called “Pigging out for
the Pig” in June to help raise money for the
family’s medical bills. Davis’s nickname is
Pig.”
Mauney Library events
LIBRARY CARD SIGN
UP - It's September and time
to get the Smartest Card in
your wallet - your library
card. Special sign up
planned at the Patrick Senior
Center. Thursday & Friday,
Sept 19 & 20; 10:00 am -
‘nity Room.
am until 1:00 pm; Commu-
Call 704-739-2371 op-
tion 3 to reserve your place.
AFTERNOON ADVEN-
TURES + Join the library
staff to create a time capsule
and journal. Capture your
family history and memo-
Ties.
For ages 6-11 years old;
Wednesday, Sept 18; 4-5
pm; Community Room.
noon; Patrick Senior Center
Kings Mountain
GENEALOGY PRO-
GRAM - Sasha Mitchell
will teach techniques for re-
searching family history
using Ancestry Library Edi-
tion. Learn how to find
records and official informa- * -
tion.
Saturday, Sept 14; 11:00
4:(0) 704-739-1644
\GRAY
Joseph A. Gray
Professional Land Surveyor
(€) 704-692-7036
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
2 jagraysurvey@gmail.com
Kings Mountain’s Carsyn Bolin joins the UNCC dance team at
the school’s inaugural football game on Saturday. Bolin, who
is majoring in math education, was one of only three fresh-
“men dancing at the big game. She’s a 2013 graduate of
KMHS, where she was on the cheerleading squad through-
out her varsity years. The 49ers whipped the Campbell
Camels 52-7.
out” while subcontractors
were working at the same
vacant HUD property.
When the subcontractors
the removal of the appli-
ahces from the home,
Smathers falsely represented
that she and her co-conspira-
tor also worked for the same
subcontractors and had been .
directed to remove the appli-
ances from the home. Court
records show that Smathers
stole over $13,678 worth of
appliances from the vacant
homes.
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Carolina Cotton Company
wishes to express our sincere
thanks to the professional staff
of the Kings Mountain Herald for
creating effective advertising to
introduce our new quilt shop.
Our very first advertisement produced
fantastic results! At one point we had
over 50 customers in our store! Wow, the
ad really proved profitable and exciting!
The Herald staff made it very simple and easy
and the benefits and value to us were outstanding.
Thanks again Kings Mountain Herald
Sincerely, John O Plonk
Carolina Cotton Company
If you would like information on how to increase
your business, like John has, call us today at
704-739-7496!
3
Kings Moi
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