Pubdate: Fri, 01 Dec 2006
Source: Robesonian, The (Lumberton, NC)
Copyright: 2006 The Robesonian
Contact:  http://www.robesonian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1548
Author: Matt Elofson

ANOTHER DEPUTY TAKES PLEA

RALEIGH - A former sheriff's detective pled guilty Monday to fraud 
charges related to private work he did for a former elected official 
while on duty. Gary Warren Odum, 37, of Lumberton, also pled guilty 
to illegally programming satellite TV cards and selling them. Odum 
resigned from the Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.

Two other former deputies, Paul Pittman and Billy Hunt, last month 
plead guilty to receiving taxpayers' money for helping landscape the 
yard of a former elected official and working at that person's 
campaign fund-raiser. The U.S. Attorney's Office didn't name the 
former elected official in the bill of criminal information, but it 
has been widely reported that the deputies helped former Sheriff 
Glenn Maynor while on the clock. Maynor, who has not been charged 
with a crime, resigned in 2004, citing health reasons. Federal 
prosecutors say Odum was instructed by his supervisors to record the 
hours worked for private benefit for Maynor as if he performed his 
duty as a law enforcement officer. The value of that work exceeded 
$5,000, according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Odum becomes the sixth deputy to take a plea deal as part of an 
on-going investigation of the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said until Odum's resignation Tuesday, he had 
not been aware of the charges against the deputy.

"It's makes you feel sad to see one of them lose their job and be 
charged with a crime," Sealey said.

Odum worked as a road deputy, a school resource officer, a detective 
in the Juvenile Division and most recently as a detective in the 
Major Crimes Division. Odum faces a maximum sentence of five years in 
prison, two years supervised probation and a $250,000 fine for each 
charge. A sentencing hearing has not been set. Early this month, 
former deputies Roger Taylor, C.T. Strickland and Steven Lovin were 
also charged with illegally programing satellite cards. Taylor, 
Strickland and Lovin were first indicted in June on a host of 
racketeering and other charges, including arson and stealing money 
from drug dealers. Their trial has been rescheduled for March. Former 
Deputy James O. Hunt, 39, pled guilty in July to conspiracy to commit 
money laundering and admitted to stealing more than $160,000 during 
six interstate traffic stops with his partner, Lovin.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 13 along 
with former Deputy Joey Smith. Smith pled guilty last month to 
conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal investigators have 
said he misused about $4,000 that has been seized from drug dealers.

Former Deputy Kevin Meares, 37, pled guilty last month to conspiracy 
to commit money laundering and admitted to stealing about $25,000 
earmarked to pay informants. Meares is scheduled to be sentenced in 
federal court on Dec. 12.
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