Saturday, August 09, 2008
News
Brady Twp. supervisor charged
SAGINAW - Brady Township Supervisor Ron Gasper was arraigned on two misdemeanor charges Friday in Saginaw County after he allegedly illegally burned a rental home on his property in 2006.
A Saginaw County District Court clerk said Gasper didn't have an attorney with him when he pleaded not guilty to a solid waste violation and air pollution control charges before 70th District Court Judge M.T. Thompson.
“The judge said, ‘Plead not guilty and get out of here,'” Gasper said. “I just want this to go away.”
Gasper and two other members of the Brady Township government were under fire and faced recalls in 2007. He was not, however, Gasper challenged the validity of the signatures on the recall petition. The petition fell one signature short.
Gasper alleged in the past the charges were all politically motivated after he voted to fire former Police Chief Larry Briggs and dissolve the Oakley-Brady Police Department.
Briggs originally investigated the illegal burn and also served as chief of the Perry Police Department. He was fired from both positions when he was charged and a jury later found him guilty of stalking an Owosso woman almost a year ago.
Gasper said police did not arrest him and the judge didn't set bond.
“He didn't even want to talk to us,” Gasper said of the judge. “He laughed at us like we had more important things to do and he didn't want to monkey around with us.”
A detective at the Michigan State Police Bridgeport post previously said the attorney general's office is handling the case. The Saginaw County Prosecutor's office wouldn't handle the case because of Gasper's position, the MSP said.
According to WJRT-TV ABC 12, Chesaning-Brady Fire Chief Dan Ryan also faces misdemeanor charges of willful neglect of duty because he didn't help put out the fire. A contractor also faces charges in the case.
Ryan did not immediately return phone calls made by The Argus-Press seeking comment.
A Saginaw County District Court clerk said Gasper didn't have an attorney with him when he pleaded not guilty to a solid waste violation and air pollution control charges before 70th District Court Judge M.T. Thompson.
“The judge said, ‘Plead not guilty and get out of here,'” Gasper said. “I just want this to go away.”
Gasper and two other members of the Brady Township government were under fire and faced recalls in 2007. He was not, however, Gasper challenged the validity of the signatures on the recall petition. The petition fell one signature short.
Gasper alleged in the past the charges were all politically motivated after he voted to fire former Police Chief Larry Briggs and dissolve the Oakley-Brady Police Department.
Briggs originally investigated the illegal burn and also served as chief of the Perry Police Department. He was fired from both positions when he was charged and a jury later found him guilty of stalking an Owosso woman almost a year ago.
Gasper said police did not arrest him and the judge didn't set bond.
“He didn't even want to talk to us,” Gasper said of the judge. “He laughed at us like we had more important things to do and he didn't want to monkey around with us.”
A detective at the Michigan State Police Bridgeport post previously said the attorney general's office is handling the case. The Saginaw County Prosecutor's office wouldn't handle the case because of Gasper's position, the MSP said.
According to WJRT-TV ABC 12, Chesaning-Brady Fire Chief Dan Ryan also faces misdemeanor charges of willful neglect of duty because he didn't help put out the fire. A contractor also faces charges in the case.
Ryan did not immediately return phone calls made by The Argus-Press seeking comment.