Published: February 26, 2008 09:01 am      

State roundup for Feb. 26

3 firefighters injured battling dozens of wildfires across Texas

ROBERT LEE, Texas (AP) — Firefighters across West and Central Texas continued to battle wildfires Tuesday that burned at least 200,000 acres, injured several people and forced the temporary evacuation of the 1,500 residents of Robert Lee, an official with the Texas Forest Service said.

Fire officials were waiting for daylight Tuesday to assess the scope of one massive wildfire stretching across Sterling, Reagan and Irion counties in Central Texas that could be as large as 500,000 acres, said David Abernathy, an incident commander with the forest service. Airplanes will fly over the fire during daylight Tuesday to obtain more accurate mapping data, he said.

At one point the blaze moved so quickly — fueled by 50 mph winds — that flames were consuming an area the size of "a football field every minute," Abernathy said.

Three firefighters were injured in Archer County when two fire trucks collided head on after one swerved around a car that pulled out into the road, Abernathy said. One of the firefighters was airlifted to an area hospital, an Archer County dispatcher said. He survived but his condition was unknown.

Abernathy said he was aware of at least two dozen separate fires across the state and expected there were "many, many more that we won't know about" until local fire departments report in.



Texas man pleads guilty in sex trafficking case

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A 48-year-old San Antonio man will likely spend 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in a sex trafficking case involving teenage girls from Mexico, officials said.

Timothy Michael Gereb pleaded guilty Monday to transporting undocumented immigrants for commercial advantage and private financial gain, and a separate count of sexual trafficking of a minor.

The sexual trafficking charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, but Gereb's guilty plea means he will likely serve 10 years. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez set sentencing for March 12.

"The risk was just too high to go to trial," said Mike McCrum, one of his lawyers.

As part of his plea, Gereb acknowledged that in May 2007 he and four other defendants conspired to bring in girls from Mexico to work as "escorts," according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation.

The girls were smuggled into the country from Nuevo Laredo and brought to the San Antonio area. Prosecutors said Gereb and the other defendants were setting up a house for prostitution, and that the girls were sexual slaves.



Former Gov. White to endorse Obama

HOUSTON (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Mark White plans to announce his support Tuesday for Sen. Barack Obama in his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination.

White said Obama is a visionary who has set forth a superior proposal to reform the health care system. White plans to make his announcement at a Houston hospital.

"Barack's vision is exactly what our nation needs right now," White said in a statement. "Right now, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the nation. I believe that Barack's health care plan is the answer we've been looking for."

White, a conservative Democrat, was elected governor in 1982, defeating Republican Bill Clements. He served four years and was defeated by Clements in 1986. White ran for governor again in 1990, but lost in the Democratic primary to Ann Richards.



W.Va. broker pleads guilty to cattle scam

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — A cattle broker and two former bank officials have pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a scam that defrauded $4.2 million from investors and lenders.

Kevin Scott O'Brien, 28, admitted that he sold the same herd to different buyers. He pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Beckley.

O'Brien operated Shamrock Farms and K&M Properties Investments and brokered cattle sales in Greenbrier and Monroe counties and in several other states. Up to a dozen people in Virginia, Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and Indiana were defrauded, federal prosecutors said.

"Cows don't have (vehicle identification) numbers, so it's kind of an easier way to hide," Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forbes said.

Forbes said O'Brien would use one investor's money to fund dealings with another investor.

A former president of the First National Bank of Ronceverte pleaded guilty to one count of accepting bribes from O'Brien. A former member of the bank's board of directors pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the bribes.

State Police began investigating O'Brien after he filed for bankruptcy in April 2006.

Each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison, along with fines and restitution. U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston scheduled sentencing for all three men for June 30.

Information from: The Charleston Gazette, http://www.wvgazette.com

Information from: San Antonio Express-News, www.mysa.com