On Friday afternoon, October 10, 2003, Federal Marshals arrested Macon County Trustee, Donnie Morgan, on charges of assaulting a federal witness and misuse of his tobacco card.
The charge of assault on a federal witness refers to an alleged altercation between Donnie Morgan and Garth Middaugh on Friday morning, October 3, 2003, at the Lafayette Post Office, for which Morgan was arrested later that day by Sheriff Joe Ferguson at the Macon County Sheriff's Office, and released that evening on $500 bond. That case is scheduled to be brought before the Macon County court on October 15, 2003.
The alleged victim in that case, Garth Middaugh, is reported to be a federal witness who is cooperating with an FBI investigation into tobacco fraud in Macon County. Middaugh alleged that Morgan repeatedly punched and threatened him.
The federal charge of misuse of a tobacco card refers to allegations that in December, 2002, Morgan claimed to have sold 2,648 pounds of tobacco on his USDA issued tobacco marketing card, which had not in fact been grown on his farm. According to Kenny Cothron, of the Farm Services Agency of Macon County USDA Services, it is illegal to permit anyone to market tobacco on your card if it was produced on another farm. Cothron says, "If the marketing card is used to market tobacco produced on another farm, or if tobacco produced on this farm is identified on the marketing card for another farm, the persons involved may be subject to prosecution."
Macon County is expected to produce about 8 million pounds of burley tobacco in 2003. The average yield for Macon County is 2000 pounds per acre. Due to wet weather and blue mold problems, yields are expected to be slightly lower this year, about 1700 pounds per acre. The 2003 marketing cards will be going out to farm operators in early November and Cothron cautions tobacco growers and buyers in Macon County to use them correctly.
Asked about fraud in Macon County's tobacco industry , Glen Harold Donoho says, "As County Executive, I have been advised by Federal Marshals that there will be a thorough investigation in reference to tobacco fraud, insurance fraud, money laundering and check cashing. It is an ongoing investigation. The FBI did not give me individual names. They simply advised me that some Macon County residents and constituents were under investigation as regards these charges."
Donoho grew up with Morgan, went to school with him and has known him as a friend throughout his five terms as Macon County Trustee. " I hate it," Donoho says. "I hate that people make mistakes. Macon County residents should be praying for Donnie instead of condemning and slandering him. They should realize the only thing to do when mistakes are made is to own up to them, straighten up the mistakes, and move on."
Donoho said during an interview with local radio station WLCT operator, Ivan Davis, that he thinks the arrest of Donnie Morgan is just the tip of the iceberg, that other arrests will follow in the near future and that Morgan was arrested first because of his prominent position as Macon County Trustee. If convicted, Morgan faces 15 years in a federal prison and a half million dollar fine.
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