Region briefs 01/26/02

Man gets four years for sodomy charges

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- On the day his trial was supposed to begin, a Poplar Bluff man pleaded guilty to sodomizing two young girls.

Gary Wayne Parker, 44, appeared before Division III Circuit Judge Kelly Parker of Iron County Friday, according to Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher.

Parker pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy. He was sentenced to four years on each count, to run concurrently.

As part of his plea, "he admitted that he touched the two girls, the victims in my case, in the private parts," Oesterreicher said.

Parker's victims were ages 6 and 8 at the time of the crime.

The victims' families were "satisfied as far as I could tell," Oesterreicher said. "They wanted him to go to prison and that's what happened."

Petition drive forces audit of sewer district

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A petition drive to force a state audit of the Pike Creek Sewer District has been successful.

"They had plenty of signatures. They had 150 more than they needed," said Samantha Brewer, public affairs officer for the Missouri State Auditor's Office.

Pike Creek customer Duane Simon, citing questions and concerns about the district's finances, launched the petition drive in December.

"I feel like it's just going to be a good check and balance for finding out where the money is being spent," Simon said.

Patty Boyers, president of the Pike Creek Sewer District Board, said she welcomes the audit. "In fact, the quicker they can get down here and get it done, the better," she said.

The district will have to pay for the audit, expected to run from $5,000 to $15,000.

Ex-housing manager sentenced to prison

ST. LOUIS -- A former rural housing project manager who embezzled from a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency was sentenced Friday to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to repay $219,645.

Richard J. Compton, 40, of St. Louis pleaded guilty in October to charges of mail fraud, embezzlement and making a false statement to the government.

Compton managed federally subsidized housing projects in Potosi, Leadwood, Cuba and Gerald, communities about 70 to 85 miles southwest of St. Louis.

From December 1995 to March 2000, Compton took and concealed $131,467 from reserve accounts his management company was required to maintain for improvements to the properties and deposited some of the money in his own accounts, prosecutors said.

Stockton man will stand trial on murder charge

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- Trial has been ordered for a southwest Missouri man accused of driving his truck into a group of people, killing one man and injuring three others.

Kevin Presley, 28, of Stockton was ordered bound over for trial on numerous charges, including first-degree murder, during a preliminary hearing Thursday in Polk County Associate Circuit Court.

The charges stem from a Dec. 16 incident outside a Bolivar home. Several people had been drinking alcohol at the home when a fight broke out. Presley and Rodney Sexton were among those who were fighting, authorities said.

Presley allegedly left, but then returned a short time later. That's when Sexton, 33, of Bolivar, was run over and killed, authorities said.

-- From wire reports