Notes from the cops and courts beat
By By Suzanne Monk / managing editor
Dec. 15, 2002
A plea bargain has apparently been worked out in the case of a Peavey Electronics employee indicted for embezzlement in July 2001.
Cynthia McLelland, a 20-year-employee, was head of the company's travel department.
McLelland withdrew her "not guilty" plea on Friday and admitted to embezzling money from Peavey Electronics between Jan. 1, 1998, and Sept. 30, 2000.
Under the terms of the agreement, McLelland would be sentenced to 10 years in prison with seven years suspended, three to serve and two years of probation.
On the day she is sentenced, McLelland has agreed to pay $60,000 in restitution. After her release, she will pay back more than $100,000 at a rate of $400 a month.
While the sentencing hearing is not until Feb. 21, Circuit Judge Robert Bailey has indicated that he intends the accept the plea agreement.
Quick takes
Shooter pleads: The man indicted for capital murder in the Jan. 30 shooting death of Denardo Saffold has been allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter. Saffold was found on the ground outside his car at the intersection of 35th Avenue and 23rd Street. He had been shot in the head and later died at a local hospital.
Meridian police arrested Jerome Allen Earl several hours later at his home. Earl is scheduled to be sentenced by Circuit Judge Robert Bailey on Jan. 10, when he will face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Still at large: Matthew Jerome Holland of Philadelphia ran away from the Lauderdale County Courthouse on Thursday, minutes before his trial was to begin.
Holland had been indicted in July for possession of methamphetamine and methadone, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He had reportedly just finished a conversation with his attorney in the lobby, and the two were returning to the courtroom but when the attorney turned around, his client was gone.
A bench warrant has been issued for Holland's arrest.
Jailer jailed: Meiko Chantrell Gabriel, a Lauderdale County correctional officer, was served this week with an indictment for fraudulent use of identity. Gabriel allegedly used somebody else's Social Security number to purchase a Gateway computer. For obvious reasons, she is being held at the Clarke County jail.
Settlement coming: A civil trial scheduled to begin last Monday involving a claim of wrongful death against Benchmark Health Care of Marion, and former owner Guy Howard, has been rescheduled for April 21.
The plaintiffs are represented by Wilkes &McHugh, a Florida law firm that specializes in nursing home litigation and wins record-breaking, multimillion-dollar awards for its clients.
Defense attorney Benny Carter asked for the delay because he has discovered that Howard has additional insurance that may apply in this situation. That being so, he said, other insurance carriers are reluctant to discuss settlement amounts until they know whether this additional money is going to be available.
I don't think there's going to be a trial.
Beating the deadline: Speaking of Wilkes &McHugh, the firm is rushing to file lawsuits before Mississippi's new tort reform laws take effect Jan. 1. Before December, they had filed five lawsuits in Lauderdale County.
So far in December, four new Wilkes &McHugh lawsuits have been filed against Meridian nursing homes another one against Benchmark, one against Queen City Nursing Home and two against Meridian Community Living Center.
The two against Meridian Community Living Center were so new Friday afternoon that Circuit Court clerks hadn't even had a chance to take one of them out of the box (that's box) it came in.
