Attention: News Director PRESS RELEASE May 7 , 2007	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY Eastern District of Kentucky

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Four days into the jury trial, Roosevelt “Sonny” Swartz of Olympia, Ky., pleaded guilty before United States District Court Chief Judge Joseph M. Hood to one count of conspiracy to buy votes in relation to the May 2006 Primary in Bath County.

Swartz, 68, who was indicted in March, admitted in the course of his guilty plea that at various dates in early May of last year, he and former Bath County Judge Executive Walter Shrout, gave several thousand dollars in cash to Norman Crouch, Mike Butcher, Anthony “Buck” White, Steven Crouch, and Belinda Crouch so that they could use the money to pay persons to vote for Walter Shrout in the May 2006 primary for County Judge Executive.

Swartz, faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. He is scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. on August 6, 2007 in United States District Court in Lexington, Ky. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.

The FBI’s investigation into vote buying in Bath County during the May 2006 Primary has resulted in 12 individuals being indicted, which along with Roosevelt “Sonny” Swartz” includes: Former Bath County Commonwealth Attorney Donald “Champ” Maze who pleaded guilty in February of this year; Former Bath County Judge Executive Walter Shrout who was found guilty by a federal jury in March of this year; Danny Michael Swartz and David Allen Hunt who pleaded guilty in October of last year; Mike Butcher; Norman Crouch; Steven Crouch; Belinda Crouch; Tammy Manley; and Charles “Chuck” Hart.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth R. Taylor.