News from April 6, 2006 issue


Credit card transactions released
Over the past three weeks, the Crittenden County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) has released itemized credit card statements for inspection by The Crittenden Press.

The Press filed a Kentucky Open Records request March 10, asking to inspect the records, many of which will likely be held as evidence in the state's 16-count felony indictment against the group's former president and CEO.

Credit card records released to The Crittenden Press beginning on March 17 indicate that hundreds of charges were made for cash advances, purchases made from catalogs, cash withdrawn at ATMs at banks and casinos, hundreds of dollars were spent for golfing equipment and green fees, cigars, hotel rooms, airline tickets, at souvenir shops, department stores and for Major League Baseball and other show tickets.

The Press asked the CCEDC whether any of those types of charges would have been authorized, but the group declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation.
The CCEDC's former president and CEO Steve Davidson was arrested Friday, March 10 at his home in Marion. Kentucky State Police delivered a sealed indictment charging Davidson with 15 counts of theft and one count of identity theft. All are Class D felonies punishable by 1-5 years in prison for each count, up to a maximum of 20 years.

Davidson, 63, was booked into the Crittenden County Jail the day he was arrested and later released after posting a $50,000 cash bond.

A review of credit card records appears to indicate lavish spending and thousands of dollars in cash withdrawn at resort towns and cities like Metropolis, Ill.; Robinsonville (Tunica), Miss.; Evansville, Ind.; Las Vegas; New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., among others. Investigators in the case have pointed out that many transactions were at or near casinos.

Credit card transactions were made in some instances to pay for travel expenses, lodging and other costs at St. Maarten in the Virgin Islands,; St. Louis, Mo.; Branson, Mo.; Arlington, Va., Gulf Breeze, Fla.; St. Augustine, Fla.; Destin, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Reno, Nev.; Nashville, Bowling Green, Louisville and other places across the county. Payments were also made to Costa Cruiseline and Carnival Cruiseline.

Airline tickets, meals, gift shop items, tickets to games, attractions and shows and cash advances were included in the purchases on those trips, all charged to the economic development authority.

Other transactions included a $1,150 charge at Joe's Jewelry in the Virgin Islands, two purchases of $247.09 and $1,270.94 at Michelson's Jewelers in Paducah, $1,200 at Best Buy, $278.59 from Nike.com, $1,349.87 for golf and golf equipment at courses and retail shops and $538.90 at cigar shops.

More than $157,000 in cash advances were charged to the group's credit cards from 1999 to 2005, special prosecutor Gale Cook of Murray has said.

Cook was appointed to prosecute the case because assistant Commonwealth Attorney Zac Greenwell of Marion serves on the CCEDC board of directors.

Davidson is scheduled to appear for arraignment in Crittenden Circuit Court at 9 a.m., Thursday, April 13. Davidson faces 15 counts of theft and one count of identify theft. Investigators say that an alleged falsified credit card application is the basis for the identity theft charge.

For more on this story, see this week's printed edition.
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18-year-old charged with kidnapping
An 18-year-old Louisville man is charged with felony kidnapping in connection with the two teenage girls who went missing from Marion last week.

Crittenden County Sheriff Wayne Agent said both girls, ages 15 and 16, were found in Louisville on two different days last week. One girl was found at a hospital Tuesday and the other near a church Wednesday after being reported missing from Marion Monday, March 27.

Agent said police were looking for Ivica Petri, a Bosnian emigrant who had been living in Louisville with his parents for about 10 years. The sheriff said Petri came to Marion accompanied by his parents and attorney Monday and turned himself into authorities. He remained in the Crittenden County Jail Tuesday.

Authorities say that Petri had driven to Marion last week and picked up the two local high school students after class Monday, March 27. Agent wasn't sure what happened once the three were in Louisville, but when the girls were eventually found each was alone.

Agent said the teenage boy was charged because he is an adult and took the girls out of Crittenden County without their parents' permission.

"Both of the girls are home and safe now," Agent said.

He explained that one of the girls had been corresponding via the Internet with Petri for about a year.

According to a recent study conducted at Crittenden County High School by the STLP organization, 65 percent of students spend more than two hours on the Internet each week with 35 percent online for more than six hours. Almost half of the students who use the Internet for chatting or other activities said they visit online with people they don't personally know. Additionally, the survey found that more than half of the high school students post online personal information, such as name, address, sex and phone numbers.

Livingston lands barge builder
Livingston County Judge-Executive Chris Lasher and the Livingston County Industrial Development Authority announced Tuesday the creation of a new barge building company that will locate on the Ohio River at Ledbetter.

Three Rivers Boat & Barge Inc., will employ 30-60 workers in the first year, then add another 40-60 next year, according to a news release issued by Lasher's office. The anticipated annual payroll will be about $1.5 million with workers earning around $15 per hour plus benefits, Lasher said.

Site work has already started north of U.S. 60 off Clark's Ferry Road on a 37-acre tract and $2 million plant.

Lasher said the county is providing infrastructure improvements such as road work, and the local economic development authority facilitated a state industrial development package that equals $1.46 million. Livingston, based on its unemployment rate and other factors, qualifies for state incentives for industry from the Kentucky Rural Economic Development Act.

Lasher said the announcement is a positive step for Livingston County's new economic development effort, which was created less than three years ago.
"I had this day in mind when we created the Economic Development Council back in 2003," Lasher said. "This is like hitting two home runs in one inning."

The local economic development authority has an option on two potential industrial sites near Ledbetter totalling 330 acres, but Lasher said none of that land will be used for this project. He said the new company has agreements to buy the land itself on the Ohio River.

David Ray, 47, is president of the new company. Ray also owns Three Rivers Machine on U.S. 60 between Smithland and Ledbetter. Ray said he worked at the ship yards in Paducah for 20 years before starting the machine shop in Livingston County in November 1996.

"So this is like going back home for me," he added, pointing out that the barge industry is something he has been associated with for many years.

Ray said the company should be in production by late June. The company will start out making hopper and deck barges.

A separate company from outside of Livingston County will be contracted to move the constructed barges from the manufacturing site a couple hundred feet to the river. Eventually, Lasher said the new company plans to install a rail system that will move the barges from the manufacturing facility right to the river.