Prison ordered for man with long DWI record

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- A judge has imprisoned a man who remained behind the wheel despite at least 12 alcohol-related driving convictions, a stint in a prison treatment program and a fatal crash. Robert J. Pinson, 52, had his probation revoked on Thursday by Jefferson County Judge M. Edward Williams, who ordered him to serve the remaining three years of a four-year sentence on his 12th conviction. Pinson received credit for time spent in the Missouri Department of Corrections' long-term substance-abuse treatment program. But it could be more than a decade before he is free. He still faces trial stemming from an Oct. 15 traffic stop in Arnold, which led the state to seek revocation of his probation. He was charged in November with being a chronic offender under a beefed up state law that provides stiffer penalties for habitual drunken drivers. Conviction could mean up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutor Bob Wilkins said Pinson has a record spanning three decades.

Videos admitted in case against former Mo. judge

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Evidence seized in a child pornography case against a former south-central Missouri judge can be used at his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Roger Wall, of Ava, resigned last February as an associate circuit judge in Douglas County three days before his indictment. He was charged with one count of possessing child porn and one forfeiture count that would allow the government to seize related videotapes and other materials. Wall's attorneys sought to suppress use of videos seized from the home of an Ava woman. The videos were in envelopes that the government alleged Wall had given to the woman for safekeeping. The defense suggested he found them hidden in the ductwork of his home and had no part in making them. Court documents say one tape allegedly showed a 17-year-old girl of whom Wall once had custody having sex with her boyfriend. Other tapes were said to show the girl stripping and talking on a telephone.

Former CFO pleads guilty to embezzlement

ST. LOUIS -- A former chief financial officer pleaded guilty Friday to embezzling more than $844,000. Tam Tariah was the CFO of Foundation Technology Inc., operating as Fasteel Systems, where he embezzled the money from January 2000 to July 2003 to pay personal creditors, expenses, debts and gambling, federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway said. Tariah, of St. Louis, then manipulated the accounting records to cover up his schemes, she said. Tariah could not be reached for comment. Tariah, 40, pleaded guilty to one felony count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge Charles Shaw. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is mandatory. Sentencing has been set for April 14.

-- From staff and wire reports

Springfield black leaders urge citizens to help police

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Black leaders and police on Friday urged the city's black community to help authorities end a wave of gun violence linked to a small group of people feuding over drug deals. Police Chief Lynne Rowe said fighting over drugs and drug money may have been the motive for a motel shooting that wounded nine people last month. While authorities have arrested a suspect in that crime, Rowe said police and prosecutors were running into a lack of cooperation from mainly black witnesses and victims in a string of 21 shooting incidents since June. Most of the shootings did not result in injuries. The Rev. Larry Maddox, head of the Springfield chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said black citizens with information about any of those shootings should talk to police or call an anonymous tip line. Rowe said police do not believe the disputes involve one gang retaliating against another. Rowe said police and prosecutors would adopt a tougher policy against gun crimes and drug sales in an effort to stop the shootings before someone gets killed.