Shepherd and Davis plea agreements

In March 2008, Ronnie Eugene “Butch” Davis and Jack Willis “Jackie” Shepherd entered plea agreements in federal court and explained their involvement in an illegal gambling operation. The pleas are the latest in the federal government’s wide-ranging investigation into illegal gambling involving video-poker machines in Western North Carolina, a case that has netted video-poker-machine owners and law-enforcement officers.

Davis, 60, served as a lieutenant under former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford. Shepherd, a Weaverville businessman, was a political supporter of Medford’s and donated cash to his campaign. Shepherd agreed to forfeit property and money to the federal government, including almost $700,000 in money, two vehicles and three pieces of property, including Billy Jack’s Flea Market in Madison County. Click here to download a PDF of the document.

Shepherd agreed to plead guilty to running an illegal gambling operation through his business Western Amusements, Inc. and to testify against others involved. In return, charges against his son and stepson are dropped. Click here to download a PDF of the document.

In this document,  Shepherd pleads guilty to running an illegal gambling operation through his Western Amusements, Inc. business, making more than $2,000 a day from 41 illegal video-poker machines in 10 locations throughout Buncombe and Madison Counties. Click here to download a PDF of the document.

Davis confirmed an unwritten deal with the government, pleading guilty to 11 charges, including extortion, mail fraud, illegally transporting money and running an illegal operation involving registration stickers for video-poker machines while he oversaw the program for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. Click here to download a PDF of the document.

In this July 21, 2008, court filing, Davis’ attorney asks the court to consider the attorney’s travel plans when scheduling a sentencing hearing. “It would be the request of the undersigned that the sentencing hearing be held either on or prior to August 12 or on or subsequent to August 25,” the filing by attorney Charles R. Brewer states.

Click here to download a PDF of the court filing.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.