Wednesday, August 9, 2006

 

Wellspring Founder Facing Federal Charges
U.S. Attorney Charges Gluhareff With 36 Fraud, Money Laundering Counts

From Staff and Wire Reports
The founder of a failed faith-based school for troubled boys in Halifax County is facing 36 federal counts alleging he knowingly deposited more than a half-million dollars in bad checks.
Robert Serge Gluhareff, former director of the Wellspring Academy, made an initial appearance Friday in U.S. District Court on charges of tax, wire, mail and bank fraud; money laundering; and making false statements before a federal grand jury.
Gluhareff, 61, declined to comment on the allegations. He was freed on $25,000 bond.
In the late 1980s, Gluhareff opened Wellspring Academy as a residential school for youths on 365 acres near South Boston, the indictment states.
The school, which closed in April 2003, offered counseling in a Christian setting.
Between 1999 and 2003, according to prosecutors, the academy went through a period of severe financial distress and could not cover expenses, so Gluhareff began to pad school accounts by depositing bad checks into them.
While Gluhareff wrote some of the checks from his personal accounts, others were written by parents who believed their tuition checks would not be cashed until they had secured loans to cover them, the indictment states.
From 2002 through the spring of 2003, he allegedly deposited more than $662,000 in bad checks into Wellspring accounts, the indictment alleges.
“Mr. Gluhareff took advantage of parents who were desperate to help their children,’’ U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee said in a statement. ‘‘He was dishonest in his dealings with parents, banks and corporations.’’
Prior to the federal charges, Gluhareff was sued by multiple creditors and employees. He subsequently closed the doors to the Elmo school and filed for bankruptcy protection.
After the academy obtained nonprofit status in 1990, Gluhareff advised some parents that a large portion of their tuition payments could be deducted on their taxes as a charitable donation, authorities said. Tuition at the school ranged from $43,000 to $49,000 a year.
Brownlee’s office declined to say whether any parents would be held accountable for false filings.
The government also charges that Gluhareff sold timber rights to 90 acres to a logger for $60,000 when he had already pledged the land to BB&T for a $1.3 million loan.
Gluhareff declared personal bankruptcy on Aug. 7, 2003. The same day, he filed corporate bankruptcy on behalf of the school.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski released Gluhareff on the condition he stay in either the Danville or Raleigh, N.C., areas and not to have contact with any witnesses in the case.
Gluhareff ran Wellspring under the corporate umbrella of The Religious and Educational Institute of Raleigh Inc.

 

Hearings Set On Road Closure

Tractor trailer operators could be unwelcome on two county roads following a pair of public hearings tonight.
Supervisors will take up the issue during their regular monthly meeting in Halifax.
The hearings get under way at 6:30 p.m. in the public meeting room of the Mary Bethune Complex.
The board is considering proposals to restrict through truck traffic on Route 615 (Dudley Road) and Route 829 (Foster Road).
At the conclusion of the hearings, supervisors are expected to take action on the proposals.
The move to close the roads to through traffic comes on the heels of complaints from county citizens who say the trucks make the roads unsafe for pedestrians and school children.
During tonight’s meeting, supervisors will also receive public comment on a proposal to replace the existing 250-foot State Police tower on U.S. 501 with a 400-foot tower. Members of the county’s Planning Commission are recommending approval of the permit.
The Virginia Department of State Police is seeking a conditional use permit authorizing the erection of the tower.
County planners are also recommending the approval of a rezoning application that, if approved, will rezone 1.08 acres from agricultural use to business.
The property is located at the southeast corner of the intersection of U.S. 360 and Scottsburg Road.
In other business, supervisors will hear a report from the War Memorial Advisory Committee on guidelines for the listing of names on the memorial, park usage rules and guidelines for any future improvements to the park.

Tax Holiday Called ‘Success’
Residents Were Out En Force This Weekend To Take Advantage Of State’s First Sales Tax Break
For many county shoppers, this weekend was one for the record books as shopkeepers across the county participated in the state’s first back-to-school sales tax holiday.
Friday kicked off the inaugural event, a chance for shoppers to load up on goods without paying the state’s 5 percent sales tax.
Although concrete figures weren’t available at press time, Halifax County Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Pool said that from her observations the tax holiday proved to be a success.
“I don’t know how much people were spending, but as I was out this weekend there seemed to be people out taking advantage of the tax exempt sales,” she said.
“Those who were selling clothing and shoes during our sidewalk sale did exceptionally well,” said South Boston’s Main Street Manager Jerry VanEimeren. “We always have a sidewalk sale this time of the year, and this year it coincided with the sales tax holiday.”
Through Sunday, school supplies priced at $20 per item or less and clothing and shoes costing $100 or less will be exempt from the sales tax.
Lawmakers recently approved the tax break in part to compete with neighbors — Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland and the District of the Columbia — that also have tax holidays. The goal is to keep residents from taking their back-to-school bucks elsewhere.
But it was car speakers that lured Tim Crabtree to a Circuit City in suburban Richmond. Store banners screaming ‘‘No Sales Tax!’’ didn’t hurt either.
‘‘I needed them anyway,’’ he said, a speaker jammed under each arm. ‘‘I figured it was a good day to do it, otherwise I’d have waited until next week.’’
Circuit City was one of several stores taking advantage of a provision in Virginia’s law that lets stores ‘‘absorb’’ the sales tax on items that aren’t school supplies, shoes or clothing. Basically, they’re footing the bill.
‘‘That’s normally illegal,’’ explained Joel Davison, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Taxation.
He said retailers pushed for the absorption, banking on the idea that the money customers spend shopping would balance out the money doled out in sales taxes.

Robin Stacy Lovelace Wilson
Robin Stacy Lovelace Wilson, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y. died August 1, 2006.
Mrs. Wilson was born in Brooklyn on December 8, 1964, to Dolores Lovelace and the late Cyrus McFadden.
Survivors include one daughter, Shannon Moore; one son, Khalil Barcia; one sister, Nikiah C. McFadden of Brooklyn; one stepbrother, Cyrus McFadden of Atlanta, Ga.; one stepsister, Najmah McFadden of Brooklyn; her grandmother, Minnie Duncan of South Boston; and her great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Lovelace of South Boston.
Graveside services for Mrs. Wilson will be held tomorrow, August 8, at 6 p.m. at Millstone Baptist Church with the Rev. Chester Spruill officiating.
The remains will lie-in-state tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Jeffress Funeral Home Chapel in South Boston.
Carol Conner Popek
Mrs. Carol Conner Popek of South Boston, died Friday, August 4, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born on October 26, 1941 and was 64.
Mrs. Popek was the daughter of the late Otis Victor Conner and the late Virginia Walker and was married to James Frances Popek, who preceded her in death. Mrs. Popek was an active member of the First Baptist Church and was a nurse for 40 years.
She is survived by two daughters; Terrie C. Lantor and husband John of Halifax and Vicky S. Oakley and husband Scott of Roxboro; three step-children, Patricia P. Hicks and husband Paul of Farmville; James “Jimmy” Popek II and wife Daphne of South Boston and Patrick Popek and wife Lynn of Bedford; two grandchildren, Lauren N. Oakley and Austin S. Oakley, both of Roxboro; five step-grandchildren and two sisters, Lois Gravitt of South Boston and Ann Dawson of Alton.
Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church at 11 a.m. today, August 7, with the Revs. Vance Midgett and George Gravitt officiating. Burial will follow at Halifax Memorial Gardens.
For memorials, please consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, Va., 24592 or the First Baptist Church Musical Organ Fund, 815 N. Main Street, South Boston, Va., 24592.
Online memorials may be directed to powell@gcronline.com.
Stokley Owen Seamster
Mr. Stokley Owen Seamster Sr., of Gladys, died Sunday, August 6 at Lynchburg General Hospital.
He was born on September 1, 1929 in Halifax County and was 76. Mr. Seamster was the son of the late Steven Sydnor Seamster and Nannie Sue Clay Seamster and was first married to Virginia Sue Talbott Seamster, then to Virginia Estelle Powell Seamster, and then to Emma Jean Davis Seamster, all who preceded him in death. He was a member of the Clover Church of God of Prophecy.
Mr. Seamster is survived by five daughters; Ida Seamster Honyoust of Indianola, Mississippi, Dorothy Seamster Horta of Brookneal, Penny Powell Milton and husband Tim of Gladys, Betty Jean Robertson of Pamplin and Tammy Ann Goodnight of Farmville; three sons, Stokley Owen Seamster Jr., of Phoenix, Az., Robert James Davis of Gladys and Jonothan Owen Seamster and friend Randi Gayle of Gladys; two sisters, Barbara Jean Williamson of Lynchburg and Nannie Pat Seamster Thorpe of Lynchburg; one brother, Jessie James Seamster of Victoria; 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Cathy Darlene Powell, and one son, Roger Scott Seamster.
Memorial services for Mr. Seamster will be held on Wednesday, August 9, at 2 p.m., with services at the Clover Church of God of Prophecy. The Rev. Stephen Byrd will officiate.
Visitation will be held Tuesday from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., at Powell Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be directed to powell@gcronline.com.

Comets Gridders Begin Mini-Camp Today
HCHS Pre-Season Football Drills Rev Up This Week With Three-Day Mini-Camp
With a week of conditioning and drills in the books, the Halifax County High School varsity football team will rev up its pre-season drills another notch today with the start of its three-day mini-camp.
“We start playing real football Monday,” Comets coach John Lacy Harris said Friday.
Comets football players will report this morning and will remain together under one roof for three days of intense work that will include on-field workouts and drills, film study sessions, meetings and weightlifting.
“This will be the biggest week of the pre-season,” Harris pointed out, noting that the team will be in full pads for the first time today.
“The big key is that everybody will be here. We will eat, sleep and dream football for three days.”
The Comets head coach said Friday the plan is to have three-a-day workouts with one workout scheduled in the early morning, another in the middle of the afternoon and one at night.
Harris pointed out that the mini-camp will provide the coaching staff with its first true look at the players.
“When we get into camp Monday we will start going against each other,” Harris said.
“We went up against the jayvee team this week because we were still installing things. On Monday, we will start getting the best going against the best. Then we can start really figuring things out.”
The Comets junior varsity team will begin its second week of today and the ninth-grade players coming out for the Comets freshman football team will hold their first workout today.
Harris had his Comets players don shoulder pads for the first time Thursday afternoon and was set to have his players don the shoulder pads again Friday.
Thursday’s workouts were cut short by a late afternoon thunderstorm, leaving Harris and the coaching staff with little to view on the first day of workouts in pads.
“We didn’t see enough to really be able to tell anything,” Harris said of Thursday’s workout.
As far as the team’s progress is concerned, Harris said he has seen some improvement through the course of the first week of workouts.
“We’ve seen some good things from the skilled kids on offense and defense,” Harris said.
“They, especially the kids that were in the program last year, are making adjustments better than they did last year.”
Harris said a better assessment of the lineman will come this week during the mini-camp.
“School is still out on them (the offensive and defensive linemen) because we haven’t hit yet,” he noted.

Hoosier Hysteria At Naturally Fresh 250
Indiana’s Shelby Howard Holds Off Jeff Agnew To Win Saturday’s Hooters Pro Cup Race At South Boston Speedway
Shelby Howard continued his second-half surge in the Hooters Pro Cup North Division, coming from 13th on the starting grid, inheriting the lead shortly past the halfway point and holding off veteran Jeff Agnew to win the Naturally Fresh 250 at South Boston Speedway Saturday night.
The win was the second of the season and first for Howard since forming a partnership with Speedco, Odle Motorsports and South Boston native Chris Rice, a former crew chief at Kevin Harvick Inc. and Bill Davis Racing.
DuBois, Pennsylvania’s Benny Gordon took the pole for the event and raced for 225 laps to lock up the North Division points title, but Howard, behind the wheel of the No. 20 Pontiac Grand Prix, stole the show.
The Greenwood, Indiana, resident took advantage of an early pit stop and a pair of late-race cautions to hold off a charge by Agnew, a Copper Hill, Va., resident and driver of the No. 73 Mark IV Honda/Team 7 Pontiac.
Finishing third was Durham resident and track veteran Jay Fogleman, subbing for Richard Landreth in the No. 4s Romeo Guest Construction Ford, while A.J. Frank of Mooresville, N.C., charged from 18th at the start of the race to grab fourth.
Gary St. Amant of Delaware, Ohio, finished fifth, while Ken Butler III of Snellville, Ga., Woody Howard of Chesapeake, Allen Purkhiser of Moore, S.C., Rick Markle of Mooresville, N.C., and Gabi DiCarlo of Phoenix, Az., rounded out the top ten.
South Boston’s Stacy Puryear qualified in the 22nd position to start the race, but an early accident and later equipment problems forced him to retire after 80 laps in a race that was delayed by 13 cautions, one a red flag stoppage.
Agnew had vaulted from seventh at the start to fifth by lap 22, fourth by lap 41 and third by lap 45, passing Purkhiser for second by lap 75 and Jack Bailey for the lead on lap 89.
Shelby Howard, who had pitted with most of the lead lap cars on lap 79, had worked his way to third by lap 105 after the fourth caution of the race.
He was second to Agnew by the time the race leader headed to the pits on lap 140, taking over the top spot and holding it through seven cautions, including a 20-minute red flag stoppage.
Agnew passed Fogleman on lap 241 and had several looks to the inside of Howard in the last nine laps, but couldn’t get the momentum for a pass.
Howard said after the race that the early pit stop ultimately played into his win.
“I knew the No. 73 was coming,” began Howard. “I got spun out early in the race, got going again but wanted to pit as soon as possible.
“I’m surprised not as many drivers pitted with us, but it worked in our favor. I just drove as hard as I could the last few laps.”
Howard had one win prior to Saturday, that coming at Jennerstown, but added his race program has been on an upward curve since joining forces with Speedco, Odle Motorsports and Rice.
“We struggled a little bit the first part of the year, but we got the win at Jennerstown. As far as the car’s handling goes, that’s turned around and that’s what you need to win races.
“These little race tracks are all about track position, you can’t afford not to come in as soon as possible,” he added.
The late cautions served to frustrate Agnew, who had arguably the best race car Saturday night, but a lack of longer runs may have prevented him from getting the momentum to pass Howard for the win.
“It seemed like every time we went back to green, there would be another caution,” explained Agnew, who was gunning for his second win in a row.
“We knew we had a great car and we got under Howard several times the last few laps, but didn’t want to rub him too hard to get the win.
“The cautions really killed us.”
Lapped traffic was not as much a factor in his failing to catch Howard as simply drivers racing for position, according to Agnew.
“No one would give an inch, and maybe they could have given us a little more room, but that’s they’re own deal and if they wan to race that hard, you deal with it and go on,” he admitted.
He also admitted that his timing for his pit stop may have been at an inopportune time.
“It probably wasn’t the best call at the time, but the car started to go away from the first of the race about 100 laps in.
“We thought we needed to get on up in the run so we would have good enough tires at the end of that run to keep up the pace, so that’s the call we made.”
Agnew’s recent surge has him hoping for a strong run in the upcoming Hooters Pro Cup Championship Series, the first race September 15 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Ia.
“I thought that we should have won six or seven races each of the past three or four races, but we’ve won about as many as we should have this year [two],” said Agnew.
“We should have won tonight, but we haven’t given up many wins this year, and the last couple of races have been really good.”
Fogleman came home third after a tenth-place qualifying effort – not bad for a driver who didn’t know he was competing until less than 24 hours before race time.
The South Boston Speedway veteran was supposed to be in Myrtle Beach, but got a call for an offer to drive Richard Landreth’s car after the death of one of Landreth’s family members.
“I had a good enough car to win tonight, but we were a little bit tight and with the second set of tires, the car was even tighter,” began Fogleman, who was in the top five by lap 156 and third by lap 190 and second by lap 213.
“It’s just unfortunate that Richard wasn’t able to drive the car,” he added.
“I love the beach but not as much as I do racing, so I left the beach about midnight last night. Otherwise, I don’t know if I would have made it.
“These guys operate on a limited budget and they needed a good finish for their sponsors,” continued Fogleman, who has five top-five finishes and one win in nine Pro Cup races at South Boston.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but there are some tracks you just run well at, and for some reason I get around here well in several different kinds of cars,” he explained.
“I guess you could call it a home-field advantage.”
Woody Howard, who entered the race third in the Hooters Pro Cup North Division points race behind Gordon and Agnew, ran as high as fifth and may have challenged if not for an incident with Frank.
“He was going for all he could go for, but I got to the outside, and he knew I would pass him,” said Howard.
“We were running neck-and-neck and he just got me into the wall. I guess he just didn’t want me to pass him.
“I feel like we were on our way to the front, but I’m satisfied with the way things are going,” he continued.
“We were third a few races ago, second the last race and the few times before that we were really good, but you just can’t see the proof yet.”

Jeff Burton Wins Indy Pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jeff Burton and rookie Clint Bowyer gave Richard Childress Racing a sweep of the front row Saturday in qualifying for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
Burton, who has driven in each of the 12 previous NASCAR races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway without qualifying higher than 16th, made an early lap of 182.778 mph stand up for his third pole of the season and only the fifth of a career that began in 1993.
‘‘I think I left a little bit out there,’’ said Burton, who along with Bowyer had to leave the track immediately after the Nextel Cup time trials to practice for Saturday night’s Busch Series race at nearby O’Reilly Raceway Park.
Burton was the second of 50 drivers who tried to qualify for the 43 Brickyard starting spots, so he didn’t really know what it was going to take to stay on top with the track getting hotter and more slippery as the session went on.
‘‘I ran as hard as I thought I could run and come back,’’ Burton said. ‘‘I was a little bit conservative in a few places that if somebody has a little more confidence, they might be able to do better than that.’’
Nobody did.
Bowyer went out seventh and posted a lap of 182.771. Kurt Busch, who was 25th in the qualifying line, wound up third at 182.752. The top three laps were separated by just seven-thousandths of a second.
Busch later blew a tire and crashed in practice. He had to switch to a backup car, which means the 2004 Cup champion will have to start from the rear of the field on Sunday.
‘‘Qualifying is so big at Indy and this is my first time being here,’’ Bowyer said. ‘‘I wanted to start up front. Burton got me a little bit but, hey, hat’s off to everyone at RCR and everyone who worked on my Chevrolet. We’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.’’
Kasey Kahne, the last driver to qualify, was fourth at 182.441, followed by series points leader Jimmie Johnson at 182.238 and rookie J.J. Yeley, whose only previous race here was the 1998 Indianapolis 500, at 182.171.
Rounding out the top 10 were Greg Biffle at 182.065, Ryan Newman at 181.925, Robby Gordon at 181.877 and Kevin Harvick, the third Childress driver, at 181.734.
Four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon qualified 16th while defending series champion and race winner Tony Stewart was 32nd. Neither seemed too concerned about where he qualified.
‘‘Anything can happen here at Indianapolis,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘We’ve shown that in the past. We’ve won races here when we weren’t a factor throughout the race.’’
‘‘I’m not too worried about the qualifying run,’’ Stewart said. ‘‘It just means we’ll have to pass a lot of cars, which makes it fun. We started 22nd last year and worked our way up there with no problem.’’