A Magoffin County magistrate convicted in a vote-buying conspiracy was sentenced on Dec. 1 to two years and nine months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves also ordered Gary “Rooster” Risner to perform 550 hours of community service after he is released from prison.
The judge imposed that requirement in lieu of a fine, said Risner’s attorney, Michael J. Curtis.
Reeves also sentenced another county official, Larry Shepherd, to two years and six months in prison and fined him $20,000, according to U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey’s office.
Shepherd is a deputy clerk in the office held by his wife, Magoffin County Clerk Renee Arnett-Shepherd.
Reeves sentenced a third person convicted in the conspiracy, Risner’s ex-wife Tami Jo Risner, to one year and one day in prison.
The three were charged with taking part in a scheme in 2014 to buy votes for Democrats Risner, Renee Arnett-Shepherd and county Judge-Executive Charles “Doc” Hardin.
A fourth person charged, Scotty L. McCarty, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and testified against the others, saying he had taken part in vote-fraud efforts with Hardin, Risner and Larry Shepherd in several elections.
In one case, for instance, McCarty said he added 60 votes to the total for a state representative candidate while working as a precinct officer, and then Risner signed names in a log book of registered voters in order to make the totals balance.
Several people testified members of the vote-buying ring paid them $50 apiece in the 2014 election.
