Public defender gets prison time in billing scam

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — A former public defender will spend nearly two years in prison for a federal wire fraud conviction.

U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers sentenced 36-year-old Summersville resident Jeremy Vickers to 21 months behind bars Tuesday.

Vickers admitted in October he submitted nearly $222,000 worth of fraudulent payment vouchers for reimbursement of court-appointed defense work.

Federal prosecutors say Vickers has represented poor clients in state criminal cases in Mason, Jackson and Roane counties since 2004. He began inflating his hours in 2008 and continued through July 2010.

Prosecutors say he made a cash-advance agreement with Huntington-based Attorney Finance Corp., accepting less money in exchange for faster payment than Public Defender Services could manage.

Public Defender Services eventually noticed the discrepancies as it was reimbursing AFC, confronted Vickers and froze all future payments.

 

Show off your Lego skills

CANNONSBURG, Ky. — Kids ages 12 and under are invited to a Lego Party at the Kyova branch of Boyd County Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 28.

The program starts at 2 p.m. The branch is located in the Kyova Mall, across from Elder-Beerman.

The Library will provide all the Legos – kids just need to bring their creativity. There will be a building contest and a door prize.

No registration is needed. The program will last about an hour.

For more information, call 606.929.5346. To learn more about all library programs and services, visit www.thebookplace.org.