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Ex-KU official gets nearly 4 years in ticket scam

A former assistant athletics director at the University of Kansas was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison for a $2 million ticket-scalping conspiracy so extensive that the judge cited the length of time it lasted and the economic damage it caused in rendering his decision.

Rodney Jones of Lawrence fought back tears as U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown imposed the 46-month prison term sought by prosecutors rather than the probationary or alternative sentence the defense attorney had requested. Jones' voice broke and he spoke haltingly as he apologized and told the judge he accepted full responsibility.

"I have made a terrible mistake I will continue to pay for (for) the rest of my life," Jones said.

In addition to the prison term, Brown ordered Jones to pay restitution, including more than $1.19 million to be paid jointly by all the co-defendants to the university and $113,843 in back taxes that Jones personally owes to the Internal Revenue Service for unreported income from the fraud. The judge also ordered a separate $2 million forfeiture judgment for which all the conspirators are jointly and individually liable.

Seven people have been caught in the investigation into the unlawful sale of football and basketball season tickets by key athletics department officials to ticket brokers and others, in which the employees pocketed the money. All pleaded guilty.

The University of Kansas issued a statement Thursday thanking federal investigators and prosecutors for their "diligent work" on the case.

"From when we first learned of these crimes, the KU community has been seeking justice," the university said in a rare official statement on the criminal cases. "Through these sentences, that justice is in the process of being delivered."

Jones, 42, pleaded guilty in January to a single count of conspiracy to defraud the United States through wire fraud, tax obstruction and interstate transportation of stolen property.

Brown took notice of the regret Jones expressed in court.

"The court regrets it also. It will depend on how you handle it," the judge said. "I am sure with your background you will have a better opportunity than most people do when they get out in society to be a productive citizen."

Prosecutors had sought the 46-month sentence, arguing in a court papers that Jones in collusion with others decimated the athletic department and deprived the university and its students of revenues that should have gone toward student scholarships, housing, and other benefits.

Jones was in charge of the Williams Educational Fund, the school's fundraising arm. Funds raised from the sale of tickets contribute to scholastic and athletic scholarships for students.

The government made no arguments in open court, but noted in its filings that Jones maintained an upscale apartment on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. and frittered money away on an "extensive rolling party scene" that lasted for five years.

"The defendant's conduct was extensive and protracted. It brought him vast wealth that he pretty much lavished upon himself with a lifestyle he could otherwise ill-afford," prosecutors wrote.

Jones' attorney Gerald Handley issued a statement after the sentencing in which Jones apologized for his conduct to his friends and family and to the university. The defense had sought probation or an alternative sentence that would have allowed Jones to pay restitution and take care of his parental duties.

"Today ends over a year of stress for Mr. Jones," the statement read. "He regrets his conduct and fully accepts responsibility for it."

Brown handed down sentences of probation and paying restitution earlier this month for two defendants who cooperated early with an internal investigation and with federal prosecutors. Brandon Simmons, the school's former athletic director of sales and marketing, and Jason Jeffries, the former assistant director of ticket operations, had been charged with failing to tell authorities about the scheme.

Jones and four others were charged with conspiracy, a more serious crime carrying stiffer potential sentences.

Kassie Liebsch, the former systems analyst at the ticket office, was sentenced Wednesday to 37 months in prison for her part in the conspiracy.

Former associate athletic director Charlette Blubaugh, who was in charge of the ticket office, has admitted she began stealing tickets in 2005, giving them to other employees to sell to third parties in violation of university policy. Blubaugh, of Medford, Okla., will be sentenced next month along with her husband, Thomas Blubaugh, 46, who was a consultant to the ticket office.

Former associate athletic director of development Ben Kirtland, who was in charge of fundraising for the nonprofit group that promotes Jayhawk athletics, is set for sentencing in May.

Stocks falter despite improving economic reports

Stocks closed with slight losses Monday after falling in the last half-hour of trading. Major indexes had been up for most of the day after several economic reports suggested that the recovery is continuing.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 22.71 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,197.88. The broader S&P 500 index lost 3.61, or 0.3 percent, to 1,310.19. The Nasdaq composite fell 12.38, or 0.5 percent, to 2,730.68. Each index had been up more than 0.4 percent earlier in the day.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending rose at its fastest pace in four months in February, though some of the increase was driven by higher gas prices. The National Association of Realtors said more Americans signed contracts to buy homes in February than economists were expecting. Sales rose in every region but the Northeast, but remained below what is considered a healthy level.

In Libya, rebels gained ground against longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi after international airstrikes against Gadhafi's forces. Oil prices fell below $104 per barrel after rebels retook control of key port towns Ras Lanouf and Brega and said they would resume exporting crude within weeks.

In the U.S., Eastman Kodak Co. gained 5 percent after the U.S. Trade Commission said it will review a judge's finding in a patent dispute with Apple Inc. and Research in Motion Ltd. A favorable ruling could pave the way for Kodak to reap higher fees.

EBay Inc. fell 4.3 percent after the company agreed to pay $2.4 billion to acquire GSI Commerce, which operates websites for retailers like Toys R Us and Bath & Body Works.

Oil-services companies Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger Ltd. each rose more than 4 percent. Netflix Inc. rose 3 percent after announcing a deal with Paramount to stream more movies to subscribers in Canada.

This is a data-heavy week on Wall Street. A crucial jobs report and manufacturing surveys will be released over the next five days.

Three stocks fell for every two that gained on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 3.3 billion shares.

Oscar Nominated Actor Edward James Olmos Headlines Stellar Cast of Hispanicize 2011 Keynoters and Entertainers

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Oscar Nominated Actor Edward James Olmos, one of the nation's most admired Latinos in Hollywood and one of the best known advocates for education, will headline the stellar cast of keynoters speaking at Hispanicize 2011, the 2nd Annual Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference, April 6-8.

Olmos, who in addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for "Stand and Deliver" was most recently Adm. William Adama in the just concluded "Battlestar Galactica" series, will deliver the breakfast keynote address of Friday, April 8.

Joining Olmos as keynoters are:

Javier Farfan, Director of Cultural Marketing for Pepsico. Farfan will open the conference with a breakfast keynote on April 7.Rosanna Fiske, CEO/Chair of the 20,000-member Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), will provide the lunch keynote of April 7 sponsored by the Walt Disney Company. Fiske is the first Latina ever elected Chair of PRSA.Rick Wion, Social Media Director for McDonald's Corporation, will keynote the lunch of April 8. Returning for this year's comedy routine titled "Latino Bloggers and Weird PR People" will be renowned comedian/screenwriter Rick Najera. Najera will share his comic madness during the dinner reception of April 7.L.A.'s signature hotspot The Conga Room at L.A. Live will host the official After Party of Hispanicize 2011, a Hollywood affair co-sponsored by Buick/OnStar. Buick will be driving many of the conference attendees to what promises to be an incredible party/networking event. The after party DJ will be the multi-talented Rikki Rincon of the Dallas-based R2Latino and The Global Cafe.

Co-presented by the(HPRA),and thein partnership with the(PRSA), the conference now features more than 33 professional development opportunities and more than 80 speakers focused on Latino social media, blogging, PR best practices and diversity.

The most updated version of the conference schedule can be viewed at .

CONFERENCE SPONSORS

The Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks and Buick/OnStar are platinum sponsors of the conference. The Advertising Agency Partner of the conference is The Sensis Agency and the Latino Social Media Agency partner of Hispanicize 2011 is . The Technology sponsor is the Ford Motor Company. The Electronics partner of the conference is Sony. For the second year in a row the official airline partner of the conference is Southwest Airlines. Other sponsors include Walmart, Clorox, Sprint, Kolcraft, Lowe's, McDonald's, Que Rica Vida (General Mills), UnitedHealthcare, VPE Public Relations, TeleNoticias, Business Wire, The Axis Agency, PR Newswire, The Zocalo Group, Super Boleteria, , Stone Crossing Solutions, the California Milk Processing Board, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Los Angeles and Survey.com.

Conference sponsorship information is available by contacting .

About the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA)

HPRA was founded in 1984 as a non-profit organization to establish a network of Hispanics employed in the public relations profession. HPRA has more than 250 members representing public relations, marketing and advertising professionals from agencies, government, non-profit and corporate companies. HPRA is dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic professionals and provides educational seminars and workshops throughout the year.

The organization has awarded more than $220,000 in scholarships to Latino students pursuing a career in communications during the last 25 years. HPRA strives to be a resource for communications professionals and for those seeking insights into the Hispanic market. For more information visit .

About Hispanicize

Co-headquartered in New York City and Miami, Hispanicize is the complete resource for Latino social media marketers and bloggers. The company was co-founded by Latino social media thought leaders Manny Ruiz, founder of the Hispanic PR Blog, PapiBlogger and the Annual Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference, Louis Pagan, Co-Founder of LATISM and Migdalia Rivera, founder of Latina on a Mission.

Hispanicize regularly features in-depth industry news, webinar trainings, technology guides, online forums and a comprehensive directory and networking service for brands and Latina/o bloggers.

To follow Hispanicize.com on its Facebook fan page, visitor on Twitter @Hispanicize.

SOURCEHispanic Public Relations Association

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P.J. Harvey on Let England Shake

NEW YORK – Harvey, once known for her aggressively sexed-up persona, now focuses on politics. In this week’s Newsweek, Seth Colter Walls talks to her about her new record, Let England Shake.

The first-person characters in P.J. Harvey’s early songs never thought twice about oversharing. “I wanna bathe in milk, eat grapes,” she declared in the fuzzed-out opening of 1993’s “Reeling,” before howling: “Robert De Niro, sit on my face.” That tune was an outtake from Rid of Me, an album with songs titled “Rub ’Til It Bleeds,” “Man-Size,” and “50 Ft. Queenie.” Rid of Me’s cover also showed Harvey topless in the shower; the outtakes collection that followed displayed her freshly toweled off, though still damp and clad in a midriff-baring halter top. The dark-haired singer’s lissome look—with a face that starts delicately at the chin before broadening and toughening around her deep-set eyes—provided the perfect contrast to the violence of her vocals, which promised listeners a “force 10 hurricane.”

She is less confrontational now. “When I was writing Dry and Rid of Me, I was 17 or 18 years old. Now I’m 41,” she says from her home in Dorset, England. “Of course I’m not going to be writing about the same things!” And yet Harvey’s arresting new record, Let England Shake, doesn’t just reveal a fresh emphasis on subject matter—it also betrays a new approach to building songs from the bottom up. Whereas she once wrote lyrics to fit a song’s rhythm, Harvey now runs her program in reverse, composing music to fit—or run counter to—her imagery. In many of England’s grim songs, which are preoccupied with injured soldiers and empires past their prime, that fog is cut with the sunlight of Harvey’s new chamber-suite impulses: a marching-band saxophone here, a sarcastically bright trumpet reveille there. And unlike 2007’s White Chalk, which was dominated by Harvey’s cautious piano playing, England brings the guitars and beats back, too—making this her most unified-sounding album in years.

Still, Harvey hasn’t put out a come-hither come-on in nearly a decade—and that’s something the male-dominated world of rock criticism (present company included) can’t help but notice. (In a review of England weeks before its release,dismissed much of Harvey’s recent material, while recalling that she once delivered “blunt force and sex like nobody else.”) It’s reminiscent of what happened to , another alt-rock heroine whose pivot from writing great songs about casual sex to writing (mostly) great songs about motherhood prompted a critical revolt. If our similar fascination with her ribald beginnings gets to Harvey, she’s not showing it. “The reaction feels completely separate from me,” she says. “Either the work survives or it doesn’t.”

“Either the work survives or it doesn’t,” says Harvey.

Harvey hasn’t evolved so far as to be unrecognizable, though. Anyone who listens to the druggy second half of 1998’s Is This Desire? will appreciate the abstract reggae touches of the new song “Written on the Forehead,” or Harvey’s own amateur saxophone playing on several songs. “I still have an enormous passion to experiment with words and music,” she says. That hungry search for new sounds doesn’t seem so different from the way she describes having written about sex as a teen. As long as Harvey never becomes modest about that venturesome impulse, Eros won’t be a stranger.

Plus: .

Seth Colter Walls has been a senior reporter in "The Culture" section of Newsweek  since 2009. Previously, he worked as a writer and editor at The Daily Star in Beirut, and as a reporter in The Huffington Post's DC bureau. He regularly contributes essays to The Awl, and is a graduate of both NYU and Columbia University.

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For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at .

John K. Fanney Joins DeMent Askew LLP

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

Raleigh, NC (Vocus/PRWEB) February 15, 2011

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

has nearly 21 years of experience and is admitted to the North Carolina, U.S. District & Court of Appeals, and Eastern District North Carolina bars.John Fanney has been named in SuperLawyers and recognized by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. He is also a Board Certified Specialist in both state and federal criminal law, State Delegate to the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and a frequent speaker at DWI seminars around North Carolina. He merges his successful criminal law practice with DeMent Askew, an established AV-rated law firm.

DeMent Criminal Law Group is led by Rusty DeMent, who’s attained an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell and was named to Business N.C.'s Legal Elite for criminal law. The addition of Fanney solidifies DeMent Askew as a leading . In addition to their prowess in criminal law, DWI and traffic violations, the firm is also accomplished in civil litigation, personal injury,and real estate.

“We are pleased and excited to have John Fanney join our firm.We’re looking forward to adding his expertise to the services we offer our clients,” says Rusty DeMent.

About DeMent Askew LLP

DeMent Askew, LLP was founded in 1968 by Russell W. DeMent, Jr. and quickly established a reputation for unwavering trial advocacy.Thenow boasts seven attorneys, five partners and two associates, and an exceptionally experienced and professional staff. They stand ready to protect their clients’ rights in civil and criminal litigation in North Carolina’s state and federal courts.

Attorneys at the law firm of DeMent Askew offer legal counsel primarily in the following areas: Criminal defenseDWI/TrafficPersonal injuryCivil litigation

DeMent Askew is proud that the majority of their new clients are referred to them by former, satisfied clients and other law firms in NC.In most cases, they offer free initial consultations so clients can quickly find out what their rights are, and what they can do to help.

Founded in 1968, the lawyers at DeMent Askew, LLP are confident that our exceptional law firm & litigation team can help you find the right solution to your legal problem.For more information about the firm, please go toor call 919-833-5555.

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Rusty DeMent, PartnerDeMent Askew919-833-5555Email Information