News Briefs
Benton official
found guilty of voter fraud
A
Benton County jury has found a county supervisor guilty of committing
voter fraud, Attorney General Jim Hood said Thursday.
Tate
King, supervisor of Benton County, was found guilty of one count of
voter fraud last week before Circuit Judge Andrew Howorth. The judge
set King’s sentencing for October 8 in Ashland. King faces up to five
years behind bars or up to a $5,000 fine.
King
was indicted by a grand jury following an investigation by the Attorney
General’s Public Integrity Division, stemming from the August 7, 2007,
primary election and the August 27, 2007, runoff elections in Benton
County. The investigation showed King paid people to vote for him on
two separate occasions.
The
jury hung up 8-4 on another count against King. Judge Howorth set
retrial on that count for October 4.
Three plead
guilty in voter fraud case
Three
additional defendants have pled guilty to voter fraud in Benton County,
Attorney General Jim Hood announced.
Ronnie
Wilkerson, Jasper Buggs and James Bullock entered their pleas before
Judge Andrew Howorth in Benton County Circuit Court Monday morning.
Wilkerson
pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud; Buggs
pled guilty to two counts of voter fraud; and Bullock pled guilty to
five counts of voter fraud. Each defendant has agreed to testify on
behalf of the state in the remaining voter fraud cases.
Judge
Howorth sentenced all three defendants to five years, with four
suspended and one to serve under house arrest on each count with all
counts to run concurrently. Each defendant received four years of post
release supervision and must pay $1,000 to the crime victims
compensation fund.
Tate
King, supervisor of
Benton County, also appeared in court Monday and pled guilty to a count
of voter fraud that a jury hung up on last week. The same jury found
him guilty of another count of voter fraud. The court also removed King
from public office Monday.
As
of Monday, 14
people have either pled guilty or have been found guilty in this case.
Two others await trial – Kenny Ray Bowen, charged with one count of
conspiracy to commit voter fraud and two counts of voter fraud; and
Billy Street, charged with one count of conspiracy to commit voter
fraud and two counts of voter fraud.
The
cases
are being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Stan Alexander and
Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn of the Attorney
General’s Public Integrity Division.
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