Elliott County official pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge

The deputy judge-executive of Elliott County has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor federal charge that he made "an expenditure to persons to vote in an election."

In October, Deputy Judge-Executive Barry F. Blair, 42, was accused — along with his father, Elliott County Judge-Executive Flemen D. "David" Blair — of spreading county-owned gravel on private driveways in an effort to influence the May primary election in which David Blair was up for re-election.

The men were indicted on charges of bribery and conspiracy in U.S. District Court in Ashland. The indictment alleged that in May 2010, both men distributed at least $5,000 worth of gravel to potential voters and their families, free of charge.

A second count alleged that from July 1, 2009, to July 1, 2010, David Blair drove dump trucks and spread county-owned gravel on private drives and roads, and he and Barry Blair directed county workers to haul and spread gravel.

Barry Blair entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors; prosecutors will move to have the indictment against him dismissed at his sentencing, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 14 in Ashland, court records indicate.

The misdemeanor charge could carry a penalty of up to a year in prison, a $100,000 fine and a year of supervised release, court documents show.

David Blair's case is still pending.

This story was originally published July 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Elliott County official pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge."