UPDATE 6:15 p.m. 11/29/2012
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (WSAZ) --- When an elected leader is accused of illegal activity and arrested, it doesn't take long to find people who feel that betrayal of trust.
"The mood is kind of down." says Olive Hill Police Chief, Bobby Hall, "I think the feeling is, it's an embarrassment for the city."
Mayor Danny Sparks was arrested, Wednesday night, after allegedly selling marijuana to an undercover informant near Olive Hill Elementary School. Detectives with the FADE Drug Task force along with Olive Hill Police made the arrest.
"He has confessed to the events." says an undercover, anonymous, drug task force member. "He has cooperated with us during the course of our investigation."
It didn't take long, Thursday afternoon, to find people, in this small town of less than 2000 people, who are cynical about the whole ordeal.
"It's Olive Hill." says resident Nellie Smith. "It's Olive Hill, what can I say? Nothing shocks me."
Sparks is charged with felony trafficking marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, along with a violation of having an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle. He was booked at the Carter County Detention Center but was soon released after posting a $5,000 bond.
Chief Bobby Hall says the Task Force had logged several complaints about possible drug activity, in the past few months, surrounding the mayor.
"It's a betrayal of public trust." says Hall. "Nobody's above the law and you have to hold people accountable."
Sparks is scheduled to appear in court on December 10th at 9:00 in Grayson, Kentucky.
UPDATE 11/29/12 @ 12:25 p.m.
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (WSAZ) -- This city of Olive Hill is shaking its head at their now former mayor after a late night drug arrest.
Mayor Danny Sparks was arrested Wednesday night after allegedly selling marijuana to an undercover informant near Olive Hill Elementary School. Detectives with the FADE Drug Task force along with Olive Hill Police made the arrest.
"We've got drug problems, lawsuits, floods, this town has seen it all," says police chief Bobby Hall. "This is the last thing this town needs to deal with, it's an embarrassment."
Sparks is charged with felony trafficking marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, along with a violation of having an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle. He was booked at the Carter County Detention Center but was soon released after posting a $5,000 bond, jail officials tell WSAZ.com.
The Grayson Journal-Times newspaper reports that Sparks resigned following his arrest. There has been no official word from Olive Hill City Hall concerning the reported resignation.
A court date has been set for Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. in District Court.
Sparks was re-elected mayor in 2010.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
UPDATE 11/29/12 @ 7 a.m.
OLIVE HILL. Ky. (WSAZ) -- The Grayson Journal-Times newspaper reports that Olive Hill Mayor Danny Sparks has resigned following his arrest on a drug charge Wednesday night.
Detectives with the FADE Drug Task force along with Olive Hill Police arrested Sparks following an undercover drug buy.
Olive Hill Police Chief Bobby Hall says the arrest happened
after Sparks sold marijuana to an undercover officer. Hall says the transaction took place within 1,000 feet of Olive Hill Elementary.
Sparks was charged with felony trafficking marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, along with a violation of having an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle.
Sparks told the Journal-Times that the arrest was "a big mistake."
The paper has published a copy of his resignation letter that he gave them following his arrest.
"Due to a very bad mistake that I have made tonight, and have failed the trust of the good people of Olive Hill, my friends and most of all my family, I have decided with deep regret to resign tonight as Mayor of Olive Hill. I hope that everyone will understand that I have always tried to do the very best for Olive Hill and hope that the people will understand that I will always try to continue to help in any way possible to better this City regardless of what position I may serve. What happen(ed) tonight is something I have never done before and deeply regret it and hope to move on," said Sparks in the resignation letter.
There has been no official word from Olive Hill City Hall concerning the reported resignation.
Sparks was booked at the Carter County Detention Center but was soon released, jail officials tell WSAZ.com.
Sparks was re-elected mayor in 2010.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
UPDATE 11/28/12 @ 9:15 p.m.
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Olive Hill Mayor Danny Sparks has been charged with drug trafficking within 1,000 feet of a school.
Olive Hill Police Chief Bobby Hall tells WSAZ.com that Sparks was arrested Wednesday night near Olive Hill Elementary with an undisclosed amount of marijuana.
Hall says FADE Task Force detectives arrested Sparks following an undercover drug buy.
Police say besides the marijuana charge, Sparks was charged with having an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle.
Sparks was booked at the Carter County Detention Center but was soon released, jail officials tell WSAZ.com.
There's no word on what Olive Hill City Council plans to do about the matter.
Two years ago, when the FADE Drug Task Force was on a major meth roundup, the mayor was chairman of the cheering section. He even talked about the need for a greater crackdown on the scourge of drugs destroying his community.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
ORIGINAL STORY
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (WSAZ) -- The Mayor of Olive Hill has been arrested on drug charges.
Olive Hill Police Chief Bobby Hall tells WSAZ.com officers with the FADE Task Force arrested Mayor Danny Sparks Wednesday evening following an undercover drug buy.
Hall said Sparks was arrested near Olive Hill Elementary School.
Police say Sparks sold undercover officers marijuana.
No other details have been released yet.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
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