Motion filed to revoke probation for developer of Cape Girardeau cooperative

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A motion has been filed in Stoddard County circuit court asking a judge for jail time for a man prosecutors say lied about being on probation when he signed an official document for more than $2 million in state economic development incentives.

Weaver Dickerson is scheduled to appear in court in Bloomfield Jan. 19 for a probation revocation hearing. Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn filed the motion last week before the Christmas holiday. The court filing claims that Dickerson lied when he signed a Department of Economic Development application for state incentives for a downtown Cape Girardeau dental and vision cooperative, violating his probation for writing bad checks.

Dickerson is CEO of Hometown Innovation Team, which has proposed the $10 million project at Broadway and Fountain Street. A company spokeswoman said its offices were closed for the holidays and that Dickerson was not available for comment Monday.

If Dickerson's probation is revoked, he faces his original five-year sentence, Welborn said, which would be at the discretion of the judge.

The motion claims Dickerson violated his probation, which was for writing more than $90,000 in bad checks in 2006 and 2007, by committing new crimes, including making a false affidavit and making a false declaration. At the court hearing, the state will be represented by incoming Stoddard County prosecuting attorney Russ Oliver, who assumes his job Jan. 1 after defeating Welborn in the November election. Telephone calls and e-mails to Oliver were not returned Monday.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said Monday no new charges against Dickerson were pending in his office. Swingle has not been asked to investigate Dickerson by any outside law enforcement agency, he said.

"That doesn't mean there won't be something down the road," Swingle said. "But, as of now, there's nothing."

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