I know the original article is here . . . somewhere - but I cannot seem to locate it - Finally this one goes to trial.
Bondsman Gets Probation in Impersonation Scheme
By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
Feb. 10--A Pueblo bail bondsman was sentenced to probation for trying to make it look like a sheriff's deputy had accepted a bribe.
Homer Lamar Blackwell Jr., 61, of Blackwell's Bail Bonds, pleaded guilty Jan. 31 to misdemeanor charges of creating a false object and false reporting. More serious charges of attempting to influence a public servant, criminal libel and criminal impersonation for personal gain were dismissed in exchange for Blackwell's pleas of guilty to the lesser charges, according to court records.
District Judge Victor Reyes sentenced Blackwell to two concurrent, unsupervised probationary terms of six months.
The charges against Blackwell stemmed from an incident on Halloween 2005, when he impersonated an employee of a competing bail bond company and mailed a $100 bill to a detention deputy at the Pueblo County Detention Center.
According to an arrest affidavit, the money was accompanied by a letter that read: "Thanks for all the bond referrals on your shift. This is not much, but I'm sure you'll appreciate it. Keep up the good work. The more we make, the more you make."
The letter carried the return address of a bail bond company that competes with Blackwell's. When they were questioned by investigators, employees of Blackwell's rival denied they had sent the letter.
The deputy received the letter along with her paycheck. She immediately reported it to her supervisor, and complained that someone was trying to frame her. Deputies are forbidden from accepting gratuities.
Investigators questioned two of Blackwell's employees. Both said Blackwell had authored the letter. One of the employees reported that Blackwell's intention was to have the detention deputy fired because he thought she was referring inmates to a competing bail bond company.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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