The Joplin Globe
Friday, May 17, 1996
Sheriff pleads innocent
Law firm retained; conditions of Release include gun prohibition
By Gary Garton
Globe Baxter Springs Bureau
Miami, Okla. -- Ottawa County Sheriff Ed Walker was free on $20,000 bond after pleading innocent Thursday in federal court at Tulsa to a 12-count grand jury indictment.
U.S. Magistrate Sam Joyner accepted the plea and set the unsecured bond. The case will be set for trial before Senior U.S. District Judge H. Dale Cook. Dates for pretrial motions and hearings will be set today or early next week.
One of the conditions of Walker’s release is that he not carry a firearm.
In an unexpected development, Walker’s federal court-appointed attorney, Stephen Knorr, withdrew from the case after Thursday’s court appearance.
Cheryl Bisbee, an associate in state Sen. Gene Stipe’s law firm, entered an appearance saying Stipe has been hired by Walker. Stipe maintains law offices in his hometown of McAlester, and in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. He practices as a private attorney in addition to serving as a state senator.
Walker, 48, previously had been declared indigent in a federal court hearing. In February, an Knorr was appointed for him from the federal public defender’s office.
Knorr declined earlier this week to discuss the sheriff’s financial declarations before the court that won him the declaration of indigence.
The sheriff has said he is in debt, in part because of medical bills from two heart attacks earlier this year
In an interview Monday with the Globe, Walker said fighting the expected federal indictment “will ruin me financially.”
Ms. Bisbee unsuccessfully argued against the condition of release that prohibits Walker from carrying a gun.
“He’s cooperated in every way with the investigation,” Ms. Bisbee said. “We believe there is no danger or question of danger with possession of a firearm.”
Other conditions of release include a restriction on his travel, a ban on contact with witnesses in the case and an obligation to report to probation officers.
The grand jury indictment, issued Wednesday, accuses Walker of five counts of extortion, four counts of aiding and abetting an illegal gambling enterprise, and three counts of obstruction of justice in failing to enforce state laws.
The infractions allegedly took place over a two-year period dating to April 19994, and involved the placement of illegal gambling machines in clubs, restaurants and convenience stores in Ottawa County.
Walker is accused of extorting money from machine vendors, through threat of economic harm; of aiding and abetting the use of the machines; and of accepting money from the vendors to let the machines be used contrary to state laws.
Walker has said the indictment is a “political deal” to get him out of office and prevent him from running again. He was elected sheriff in 1992 after 20 years with the Miami Police Department. His term expires this year.
U.S. Attorney Steve Lewis said the probe, in which 16 people have been indicted, is continuing. “The indictment of Sheriff Walker simply closed the first stage of the investigation,” he said.
If convicted, Walker would face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of extortion. Each other count could result in five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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