3 columns wide x 5 inches deep
PAGE 3 - April 21, 2010
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
Sentencing -
Continued from page 1
Parker, Yearty and Blair, were in-
dicted on Oct. 20, but the document was
sealed until one day after the Nov. 4 elec-
tion, when both Parker and Yearty were re-
elected to their county commission seats.
Gov. Charlie Crist immediately suspended
the two commissioners from office and
eventually replaced them with appoint-
ments to the county commission.
Parker, along with 12 witnesses
inluding his son, Wesley, spoke before the
judge. Parker said he had no idea he’d be
given money in the meeting where he and
Yearty together accepted the $10,000. Park-
er said he accepted the money with reser-
vations and wanted to talk with Yearty and
think about what he should do. According
to court records, Parker and Yearty took a
trip to New York City with the money they
accepted from the FBI. Parker attempted
to return the money, several times, before
finally returning it to an FBI agent. Parker
mentioned, several times, the shame he felt
about the damage he’d done to the commu-
nity.
Judge Mickle pointed-out, that
Fatal Accident
although Parker did not take responsibility
for the crime and claimed entrapment, he did not lie about the facts during the FBI interview
- Continued from page 1
and was genuinely remorseful, and considering Parker’s character and good works in the
communtiy, he felt Parker is unlikely to break the law again.
north of the State Road 44 Bridge on the withlacoochee River, near the northeastern Citrus
In consideration of Parker’s potential financial hardship, the judge waived paymnet County and Sumter County line. Lamb was traveling south at between 5 and 10 miles per
of probation fees, the cost of electronic monitoring during his house arrest, and in the event hour, FWC investigators said.
that Parker should decide to appeal the ruling, the judge would appoint an attorney to rep-
After the prop struck Faul, two other passengers, Alan K. McCarthy, 23, and Mi-
resent Parker and waive the cost of obtaining a manuscript of the court proceedings. Mickle chelle Schwab, 29, both of Bushnell, went into the water to rescue her.
also told Parker to thank his attorney, Gloria Fletcher, for the job she had done for him. Ms.
After bringing Faul back aboard the pontoon boat, an airboat operating in the area
Fletcher had argued that Parker was covered by the state’s gift law, which states that gifts came over to assist. People placed Faul aboard the airboat, in an attempt to get her ashore
in excess of $100 must be returned within 30 days or reported publicly. However, a federal more quickly. The airboat transported her to the Rutland Park Boat Ramp at the State Road
statute bars the acceptance of $5,000 or more in bribes by any public official whose govern- 44 Bridge. Faul’s injuries were fatal, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
ments accepts federal grants.
Emergency medical crews from Lake and Sumter counties were at the scene, as
School crossing guard fired by CCSO
well as personnel from the Citrus County and Sumter County Sheriffs’ Offices. FWC of-
ficials are continuing the investigation.
after accusation of lewd conduct
noticed that the curtain was partially closed, and when she attempted to move the curtain,
she saw the man’s private parts and his lewd act. When she confronted the man he “stopped
A 74-year-old Inverness man who
tacted authorities that an
and turned and zipped up his pants and...left the nursing home,” the report stated.
was employed by the Citrus County Sher-
elderly white man had ex-
A second witness stated that she’d seen an elderly man wearing a pink plaid shirt
iff’s Office as a school crossing guard was
posed himself to an elderly
and gray slacks, leaving the room while zipping his slacks. She followed the man out of
arrested by the Citrus County sheriff’s Of-
woman while performing
the nursing home and saw him leaving in the white Ford Escort. She obtained the car’s tag
fice, April 13, charged with committing a
a sexual act upon himself.
number.
lewd/lascivious act in the presence of an
The report stated that when
Deputies located the address the tag was registered to and went to the address, 510
83-year-old “disabled” Inverness woman in
the man was confronted,
Lake St., Inverness and spoke with Belser who was “still wearing a pink plaid shirt and gray
a nursing home.
he left the nursing home.
slack,” the report stated, and “the vehicle in question was parked in the garage.”
According to the sheriff’s office,
The man was described as
Belser
Belser told the deputy that he had recently left the nursing home and had returned
Ronald Owen Belser, 510 Lake St., In-
wearing a pink plaid shirt
home and shaved. He said he knew an elderly woman at the nursing home but could not
verness, had been employed by the sheriff’s
and dark gray slacks and reported as leav-
provide her last name. Upon questioning, he stated that he had not signed the visitor’s log,
office since April 2004 and was fired for
ing in a white Ford Escort, and the Florida
exposed himself or performed the lewd act described by the first witness. He said the wit-
conduct unbecoming a sheriff’s office em-
tag number of his vehicle was given to the
nesses/nurses were lying. He said that his zipper was partially down and he had touched the
ployee. At the time of the arrest report, no
sheriff’s office.
victim’s blanket, but denied having touched the woman and also denied the other accusa-
other complaints had been filed against Bels-
The sheriff’s office placed a BOLO
tions.
er with the sheriff’s office, the report stated.
(be on the lookout) for the vehicle and spoke
Belser was place under arrest and transported to the Citrus County Detention Facil-
Around 10:00 a.m., April 13, the
with a witness at the nursing home. She said
ity where his bond was set at $2,000 on the felony charge.
staff of an Inverness nursing home con-
that she was checking the nursing home and
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