Digest

Military contractor's sentence is upheld

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 19, 2007

TAMPA

A federal appeals court upheld the 15-month prison sentence Tuesday of a former Special Operations Command contractor convicted of conspiracy.

Tom Spellissy was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Whittemore in August 2006.

Prosecutors said that Spellissy, a retired Army colonel turned private defense contractor, caused irreparable harm at Special Operations Command in Tampa by seeking special treatment for his clients in the defense industry.

Spellissy's case began last year when federal prosecutors accused him of paying $4,500 in bribes to William Burke, another private contractor at Special Operations Command. Burke pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation in exchange for testifying against Spellissy.

But at trial, Burke changed his story and told the jury Spellissy had done nothing wrong. Burke was later convicted of lying under oath and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Despite Burke's flip-flop, a jury found Spellissy guilty of all charges: two counts each of bribery and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy.

Whittemore later dismissed the bribery charges and ordered a new trial for the wire fraud charges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office has said it was awaiting the appeals court ruling before deciding whether to retry Spellissy.

CLEARWATER

Woman to oversee Pinellas County Jail

Pinellas Sheriff Jim Coats on Tuesday announced plans to promote Alexis M. Davis from captain to major overseeing the county's Detention and Corrections Bureau. She replaces the retiring 29-year veteran Major Kirk P. Brunner.

The promotion makes Davis the highest-ranking female deputy in the Sheriff's Office, Coats said. The post pays $118,400.

[Last modified September 19, 2007, 00:14:27]