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Wednesday December 9, 2009

A Publication of

Sally Price - Correspondent

Permit No. 14

Newscaster Publishing

Mike Moore - Photojournalist

Squawk Box

Sidbar to

The Trial

With Sally Price

The trial for suspended Levy

County Commissioners Yearty and Parker

is over, and the verdict of guilty was unan-

imous. The actions of the FBI, as claimed

by Parker’s attorney Fletcher were totally

OUTRAGEOUS as to what this case cost

taxpayers and to what extent the FBI went

to set these men up. Outrageous was re-

peated over and over as Fletcher asked for

acquittal. The 12 independent thinking ju-

rors made the decision of guilty. Much tes-

timony and Yearty’s attorney Rod Smith’s

arguments justiﬁed or explained the ac-

tions of the defendants and question of en-

trapment.

In my opinion, our world and

government has changed drastically, and

the distrust of elected ofﬁcials is at an all

time high. You believe it was entrapment,

but in the end, all the men “took the mon-

ey.” If you don’t believe what happened

should be legal, you can question what

Afghan war veteran and 1993 Crystal River High School graduate Romulo Camargo serving as Grandmaster for the Crystal River Christmas pa-

motivated the jury, but it comes down to

rade last Saturday. The two-hour event meandered south on highway 19 from 3rd street south ending at The Plantation; hundreds of residents

what U.S. Attorney McMahon said as he

Guilty: On All Counts

crowded the route. Photo by Mike Moore.

exited the courtroom. There were three tri-

Meth Lab

als in Dixie County and this one for Yearty

and Parker. That is 4 trials with 12 jurors,

with Sean Michaels of Gideon doing the

(FBI agent) Sean (Quinn) “Michaels” and

Dismantled in

same thing in each case, and everybody

By Newscaster Staff

Dixie County Commission-

took the money. That makes a total of

The trial of Sam-

er Alton Land, and the focus

48 jurors who said the same thing in the

my Yearty, 63, Gulf Ham-

of the investigation shifted

end, guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Lecanto

mock, and Tony Parker, 49,

to Yearty, whom Quinn was

Attorney McMahon has won every case,

Bronson, was held in the

told was the most inﬂuential

no matter how OUTRAGEOUS the case

Northern District Federal

Joseph Shane

member of the Levy County

looked.

Court in Gainesville, Nov.

Damron, 31, 5359 S.

Commission.

My point is that many citizens

30 through Dec. 4. The jury

Destin Pt., Lecanto, was

Agent Quinn said

feel our whole system of government has

and courtroom listened in-

arrested by the Citrus

that he met Yearty, Parker

tently as witnesses took the

County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce

Continued on page 3- Squawk Box

and Levy County Coordinator Fred Moody

stand, sharing pieces of the

(CCSO) on numerous

by chance at the Bronson courthouse on

It’s Window

puzzle that was to determine the fate of the

drug charges, NOv. 30.

Dec. 14, 2007. Agent Quinn visited with

two men who were suspended from the Levy

According to the arrest

Painting Time!

realtor Jim King (Chieﬂand) who arranged

County Commission by Gov. Charlie Crist

report, the sheriff’s of-

a meeting between himself, Michaels and

on Nov. 5, 2007, one day after both commis-

ﬁce spoke with residents

Yearty. They had dinner at a restaurant.

Saturday, December 12

sioners were re-elected to their commission

at Damron’s address Joseph Damron

Yearty took Agent Quinn around the county

Join in the FUN

seats. The men were charged with soliciting

while investigating an

so he could see the area springs. Yearty told

from 8 am to 12 noon

bribes in return for payment or incentives.

unrelated robbery. The report stated that

Agent Quinn, that when he next came to the

Yearty was additionally charged with lying

three individuals at the residence told ofﬁ-

area, he would introduce him to the mayor of

Kick Off the Holidays

to a federal investigator.

cers that Damron had been manufacturing

Inglis and show him the future nuclear plant

& Compete for

As the story unfolded, it was re-

methamphetamine at the residence for the

site. Agent Michaels called realtor King and

Prize Money!

vealed through testimony that in 2006, FBI

past few months. They also said that many

asked if he should send Yearty cigars or li-

agents posing as developers with the ﬁcti-

See Pg 12

items related to the manufacturing of the

quor to show his appreciation. King told him

Inglis King Rd. Mine

tious Gideon Development Corporation out

drug were in Damron’s bedroom.

that Yearty was a deacon in his church and

The Newscaster

of Newark, N.J. were investigating corrup-

Ofﬁcers obtained a search warrant

suggested a gift card at a restaurant, instead.

Food Ranch

tion in Dixie county. Yearty’s name came

and searched the residence for the drug.

Agent Quinn sat with Yearty and Parker at

15th-Annual Holiday

up in a conversation between “developer”

Window Painting Contest!

Continued on page 4 - Meth Lab

Continued on page 3- Trial