Former Norton Officer Pleads Guilty

A former Norton police officer has pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including allegations that he conducted illegal searches, stole private property, stole drugs from police departments and sold weapons.

Paul Edward Bevins Jr., 35, waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury and instead pleaded guilty to a six-count information June 7 in Wise County Circuit Court, according to court records. An information is a document listing the prosecution's charges against an individual, as opposed to indictments coming from a grand jury.

Bevins entered an Alford plea, which means he did not admit to committing the crimes but pleaded guilty because prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict him. Some of the charges stem from an investigation into police corruption following Appalachia's May 2004 town council races.

Bevins pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining cash and property worth more than $200 from persons who were being searched and converting it to his own use; one count of making false statements in an affidavit he submitted to a county magistrate to get a search warrant for the Appalachia residence of Franklin Thacker; one count of stealing property, including an AR-15 rifle and a .25-caliber automatic Titan pistol, from the Norton Police Department and selling the items to third parties; one count of stealing narcotics from the Wise County Sheriff's Department and Norton Police Department; one count of obtaining Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances by fraud; and one misdemeanor count of recklessly handling a firearm.

Prosecutors allege in the information that from about June 2004 until this past March, Bevins devised a plan and scheme to use his position as a police officer to benefit himself personally. This plan and scheme included unlawful conduct by Bevins, the information states.

Bevins, who was Norton's representative on the Southwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, could have faced a maximum sentence totaling 76 years if he had been tried and convicted on the charges. Under a plea agreement with special prosecutors Tim McAfee and Greg Stewart, however, Bevins was sentenced to three years in prison with all three years of the sentence suspended. He was placed on three years of supervised probation and three years of post-release supervision. The sentences will run concurrently with each other.

As a condition of his probation, Bevins must pay investigative restitution of $2,500 to the sheriff's department within the first two years of his supervised probation. In addition, Bevins must submit to random drug testing and successfully complete all substance abuse programs as determined by his probation officer during his probation.

Norton Police Chief Kenny Jackson Friday declined to discuss the case involving Bevins, referring all questions to the special prosecutors, but he confirmed that Bevins no longer works for the department.

[the_alienist]

Talk about a slap on the hand......geeesh

Really. Any of the average citizens in WC, would of gotten jail time, to prove a point.
But it seems some are above the law. This person committed more crimes, as an officer of the law, than most against the law could of dreamed of.
And gets probation? Hear any politics in this?
Then some here question why i post things. Heck don't no one else see a problem? Besides me and the alienist.

This statement upsets me some. Cause i may be wrong, but it may be connected, with the things going on in Appy.

[ QUOTE ]
one count of making false statements in an affidavit he submitted to a county magistrate to get a search warrant for the Appalachia residence of Franklin Thacker

[/ QUOTE ]

[jtw61194]

You said it all, man! Wow, what a joke. When does the prosecuter come up for reelection? I wonder if you all will here the same old "tough stance on crime" crap that all prosecuters preach.

The two involved in this above, prosecutors that is. Are special prosecutors.
Not the Commonwealth.
Some one is doing a heck of a political job.
October of this year, for the Appy election fraud trial. And yet, set a person bascially free, that could of faced 76 yrs in prison?
Talk about working a deal.
How many in prison now, could get such a deal?
A Commonwealth Attorney or Judge Seat has to be up or coming available, for this kind of politics.
No one in WC, could of gotten such a deal, 76 yrs converted to 6 years probation? What a deal.
No never question why i post again. Me, myself popular or not. This is wild.
Now if you live in WC or the City of Norton, remember this, it may save you, from doing serious time.
And if your an officer of the law in WC or the City of Norton, never worry about doing wrong or getting time. You just got your free pass.
Unbelieveable!!!!!!!

[jtw61194]

It will definitely be hard to take the legal system seriously. Thanks for clearing up the prosecuter issue. I hope that somebody "in the know" is planning on writing a book. I'd buy it.

[Gotch]

In the last 6 months or so we have a Coeburn officer charged with sex offences and possibly more charges to come. We have an Appalachia officer charged with grand theft. We have the Norton chief being kicked to the curb and another Norton officer fired over the same incident. Now this Norton officer. Then there have been some questionable events that haven't resulted in charges, although some have led to civil action.

There is a problem. Period.

[imported_mega]

you guys have no clue, its pretty obvious the dude is a snitch. People dont just get those types of plea bargains in return for nothing, open your eyes.

You got that right Gotch.
Some big time problems. When those who take an oath, to uphold the law, violate it, and then get slapped on the wrist.
Folks i know i post this stuff, for informational use.

But reading this, and what i have seen happen, and what others have posted. Something is definitely wrong.

I hope others see this. I don't know the whole picture. But the more that unfolds, i have to question it. Sorry, but if no one does. What do we learn.

Basically a man who could of gotten 76 yrs in prison, was set out on probation?

Come on now. A little to unbelieveable. Were talking Tim McAfee and others here? Those who are wanting to bury Appy in voter fraud. And this person they just convicted, got a search warrant for an Appy resident, as a memeber of the what? Wise Co. Drug Task Force.

And yeah you know i dont' care who tells me, not to discuss it.
This is our time and our lives. You don't like me or me talking about it.
To bad. Cause it effects WC in more ways than one.

It's wrong. This was wrong. So yeah im gonna [censored].

Planted snitch or just a cop gone bad. It's wrong. Especially when it sends a signal corruption on some bases are ok.

[Gotch]

I know I'm forgetting some others. There was a previous coeburn officer fired because of perjury. All in this county and very, very recently. That's not acceptable.