TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalAfter request denied, Arkansas businessman Suhl goes to prison for bribery
Arkansas businessman Ted Suhl, convicted in late October of bribing a state official to protect his business interests, reported to a federal prison in Illinois last week after an appeals court rejected his attempt to remain free while challenging his convictions.
Records at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons showed Monday that the 51-year-old man from Warm Springs, near Pocahontas, is being housed in a medium-security lockup in Marion, in southern Illinois.
Suhl was originally ordered to self-report to a bureau-designated prison by 2 p.m. Jan. 2. But on that day, his appeal of U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson's Nov. 14 order denying his request to remain free while appealing was still pending. A day later, on Jan. 3, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the appeal in a nine-word order. It said simply, "Appellant's motion for continued release pending appeal is denied."
The federal prison's website doesn't show the exact day that Suhl checked into the prison, but it says he is expected to be released Feb. 5, 2023 -- a little more than six years from now.
Read more: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jan/10/after-request-denied-suhl-goes-to-priso-1/?f=news-arkansas
Man gets two years for defrauding food program for children
LITTLE ROCK—A Marianna man who says he plotted to defraud a feeding program for children in low-income areas has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to make $380,000 in restitution.
The U.S. Attorney's office said 34-year-old James E. Franklin Jr. was sentenced Tuesday for conspiring to commit wire fraud. After completing his prison term, he will be on two years' supervised release.
Franklin is the fourth person sentenced in what prosecutors say was a scheme to defraud feeding programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Franklin claimed he fed 244 children a day at a center in Hughes and another 287 at Brinkley. Witnesses said he fed no more than 25 children at the two feeding sites.
Eight other defendants are awaiting sentencing. Three await a trial.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2017/jan/12/man-gets-two-years-defrauding-food-program-children/656946/
GOP comes up with plan to have state workers pay for state maternity leave
Rep. Clarke Tucker of Little Rock has been working for months on legislation to provide paid maternity leave for state employees. It's low-cost (no cost, really), pro-family and good for the workplace.
So today comes new legislation on the subject from two Republican legislators, Sen. Missy Irvin and Rep. DeAnn Vaught. If there's to be paid state maternity leave, the Republican view is, other state employees should pay for it.
They propose to have paid maternity leave provided by allowing use of days donated to a catastrophic leave bank by state employees. Maternity leave — either for a woman giving birth or a woman taking an adopted child into her home — would be considered a catastrophic event for this purpose.
The Republican Party has generally followed a policy of attempting to stymie Tucker's work because he's one of the Democratic Party bright lights. (Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin's truncation of voting in the Senate on a Tucker ethics bill in 2015 was a notable example.) It wouldn't do for him to build up a record of achievements. Additionally, he defeated Stacy Hurst in his first race for House and she's a Hutchinson administration insider, from the Governor's Mansion to the Heritage Department she now runs. She is one sore loser.
Read more: http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/01/12/gop-comes-up-with-plan-to-make-state-workers-pay-for-state-maternity-leave
[font color=330099]I have mixed reactions to this plan. While I understand that some fellow employees are willing to donate some of their leave to a common pool, it is a misnomer to consider maternity leave as a "catastrophe". Having a child is supposed to be a joyous event instead of a catastrophe.
In addition, having worked in both the public and private sectors I can say without a doubt that the fellow employees already pay for the worker out on maternity leave by having to work increased hours and assume additional responsibilities. When I worked in state government there was a woman that had only been with the agency for a few months who went on maternity leave for 12 weeks after giving birth to her second child. Less than a year later she became pregnant again and went out on maternity leave for another 12 weeks, then at the end of that period she resigned. The woman was gone from the office so much that she barely made any significant contributions and she also occupied a position where someone else could be hired.
Finally, it is also possible that some resentment might occur among the other employees. Is it fair to the employees that chose not to have children? Why isn't catastrophic paternity leave not available to the male employees?
If the state wants to provide a maternity leave pool then they should step up to the plate and provide for those benefits rather than placing the burden on the other employees to donate time to a catastrophe sick pool. Let the catastrophe leave pool be for employees that had a heart attack, stroke, cancer, aneurysms, in need of organ transplants, etc. The plan being suggested could become divisive and may result in a negative impact on the catastrophe pool. [/font]
Arkansas man gets 5 years after creating fake firms to defraud insurance customers
A Fort Smith man has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to creating two fictitious companies in a scheme to defraud insurance customers.
Samuel Bowron Phillips, 41, was sentenced Wednesday before Chief U.S. Judge P.K. Holmes III in Fort Smith, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser of the Western District of Arkansas.
Phillips was ordered to three years of supervised release on one count each of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. The sentences are to run concurrently.
He must also pay about $1.6 million in restitution to victims who were affected between March 2013 and November 2015, the release states.
Read more: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jan/12/arkansas-man-gets-5-years-scheme-defraud-insurance/
Arkansas lawmakers say they'll move quickly on tax cut plan
LITTLE ROCK — Top Arkansas lawmakers say they'll move quickly on Gov. Asa Hutchinson's proposed $50 million tax cut for low-income residents but say there are questions about part of his plan to give military veterans a tax break.
The top Republican in the state Senate said Thursday he'll bring Hutchinson's income tax cut proposal before that chamber's Revenue and Taxation Committee next week. House leaders said they also plan to take up the proposal in the next couple of weeks.
Legislative leaders say there is resistance to Hutchinson's proposal to raise the sales tax on manufactured housing to help pay for exempting military veterans' retirement benefits from the state income tax. Hutchinson said he's open to looking at alternatives for funding the veterans' exemption.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jan/12/arkansas-lawmakers-say-theyll-move-quickly-tax-cut/
Former Kansas bank teller convicted of embezzlement
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former bank teller has been convicted of embezzling about $700,000 from a Burlington bank.
U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said in a news release Thursday that 48-year-old Denise Christy was convicted of embezzlement and six counts each of making false bank entries, filing false tax returns and money laundering.
Prosecutors say one of Christy's duties at the Burlington branch of Central National Bank was to sell cash in the bank's vault to the Federal Reserve Bank. In May 2014, auditors found $700,000 was missing from the vault. Christy falsely said the money had been shipped to the Federal Reserve.
Christy falsified bank records to cover up the embezzlement and spent more than $77,000 in embezzled funds to pay off loans from the Farmers State Bank in Aliceville.
http://www.newspressnow.com/news/state/former-kansas-bank-teller-convicted-of-embezzlement/article_66eec09a-d92b-5be0-9a44-6977b1cad1ed.html
State budget woes could hamper efforts to boost Missouri worker pay
JEFFERSON CITY • A slowdown in revenue could scuttle efforts to boost the salaries of Missouri state workers.
During a hearing in the state Capitol Wednesday, Missouri lawmakers expressed support for increasing the lowest-in-the-nation wages, but cautioned that lagging tax collections could again short circuit the push.
“With $500 million needing to be cut from the budget, it doesn’t look good for employee pay raises,” Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, said before the two-hour-long discussion began.
That position is a reversal from September when Bernskoetter expressed optimism about finding a way to lift Missouri worker pay.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-budget-woes-could-hamper-efforts-to-boost-missouri-worker/article_dfdcf0d2-3a02-50f8-b68b-5f27bc885085.html
Right-to-work measures advance, unlikely to appear before voters
JEFFERSON CITY • After hours of debate this week, a House panel on Wednesday approved controversial right-to-work legislation, bundling five similar bills into one package that will soon head to the House floor for consideration.
The legislation is a longtime priority for Missouri Republicans who argue that the measure – which limits unions' ability to collect dues from their members – is a pro-business job creator. Opponents contend the legislation amounts to government overreach in negotiations between employers and employees.
Before the vote, Rep. Doug Beck, D-Affton, introduced an amendment that would put the proposal before voters through a referendum, something Democrats have insisted is necessary given the divisiveness of the issue and the impact it could have on unions and their members.
“This one issue will have a measured consequence on the livelihoods of so many Missourians, it is appropriate that this issue be decided at the ballot box, and not by politicians in Jefferson City,” Beck said, comparing it to a photo ID voting requirement that voters approved last year.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/right-to-work-measures-advance-unlikely-to-appear-before-voters/article_a7bd4f6a-b6a4-54db-bfb4-79f0a2e542b1.html
Two more accused of role in $270,000-plus theft from John Cochran VA in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS • Two more defendants have been added to a criminal case that claims that former employees and contractors ripped off the John Cochran VA Medical Center.
The U.S. Attorney's office said that David Graham, 24, of DeSoto, was arrested Wednesday and Tony Pedretti, 43, of Whiting, Indiana, was arrested last week. Both were indicted Jan. 4 on a felony charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
As the Post-Dispatch reported last month, a former employee and contractor, Scott Geary, 54, of DeSoto, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to steal government funds and admitted conspiring with a VA official to bill for unnecessary work.
The conspiracy cost the government more than $270,000, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Albus said in court at the time.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/two-more-accused-of-role-in--plus-theft-from/article_cc00cd60-11a5-595e-85b8-2d3ae675ef7a.html
Limits on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers continues to advance through Missouri House
JEFFERSON CITY • The Missouri House moved closer to curbing the influence of lobbyists in the Capitol Thursday, overwhelmingly advancing a proposal that would prohibit them from offering gifts to individual lawmakers.
With a resounding 147-3 perfection vote, the House demonstrated its commitment to make good on Speaker Todd Richardson's vow that restrictions on lobbyist gifts, a priority of Gov. Eric Greitens, would be the first bill out of the House. The measure needs one more vote before advancing to the Senate, where ethics legislation — including a lobbyist gift ban — stalled last session.
But the bill still faced criticism for some of its loopholes.
For example, companies, universities and other interest groups will still be able to pick up the tab for an occasion so long as they invite the entire General Assembly, something they've spent an average of $250,000 on in the past five years.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/limits-on-lobbyist-gifts-to-lawmakers-continues-to-advance-through/article_30b205f7-a983-5837-8c54-12e87332fdfe.html
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
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Current location: Bryan, Texas
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