Medford gets new lawyer; judge delays attorney-pay question

Even though he’s already been convicted on federal corruption charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison, former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford, newly shaved bald, was back in an Asheville courtroom on Dec. 4. Medford was assigned a new attorney, Asheville-based David Belser, for his appeal, and Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell delayed consideration of […]

Judge deals out prison sentences in corruption scandal

It worked like a charm. Video-poker-machine owners slipped the gambling devices across the South Carolina state line and into the backrooms of small restaurants and country convenience stores across Western North Carolina. The money rolled in—as much as $30,000 per machine per year—and players were lured by the prospect of winning cash, rather than the […]