Rick L. Davis

Maryland Unions Hire Convict as State Lobbyist

Submitted by Michael Nelson on Mon, 06/10/2002 - 00:00

A Md. state lobbyist released from federal custody two weeks ago after serving a sentence for a felony fraud conviction is wasting little time in returning to work. Gerard E. Evans said May 25 that he has registered with the Md. State Ethics Comm'n to represent five clients in Annapolis and expects to sign up several more soon. His clients include the Baltimore chapters of the state's largest police union, plus Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos, the Prince George's County and groups of Md. horse trainers and horse breeders.

Evans was convicted in 2000 of fraud for scheming to win lobbying fees from out-of-town companies by misrepresenting or exaggerating the threat of legislation that would have hurt the companies. He was sentenced to thirty months in federal prison, but was transferred to a halfway house in Washington after less than a year in custody in Cumberland, Md. His sentence was reduced by a year when he agreed to complete a drug and alcohol abuse program, and he was released from custody May 10.

Indiana Local Wins Dues Case

Submitted by Michael Nelson on Mon, 10/22/2001 - 00:00

U.S. Dist. Judge William C. Lee (N.D. Ind., Reagan) ruled against an employee finding that a union's insistence that the employee provide "independent corroboration" that his religious beliefs precluded his funding or participating in the union did not violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Lee granted summary judgment to United Auto Workers Local 2209 in Fort Wayne, Ind., on the claim of employee John M. Bushouse that the local failed to accommodate his religious belief by allowing him to donate his union dues to a charity. Lee found that Bushouse did not adequately establish that he held sincere religious beliefs that conflicted with UAW's requirement that he pay dues.

San Francisco Boss Indicted for Bank Robbery

Submitted by Michael Nelson on Mon, 08/27/2001 - 00:00

President of the Nat'l Air Traffic Controllers Ass'n's San Fran. Local and veteran S.F. Int'l Airport air traffic controller believed by police to be the "Robust Robber" was indicted Aug. 16 in a string of bank holdups that authorities said he blamed on financial problems. Rick L. Davis was named in a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Oakland that said he netted $40,000 during a 10-month spree in Fremont, Union City, and Concord. Police dubbed him the "Robust Robber" because of his stocky build.

Davis' attorney, Randy S. Pollock of Oakland, said that she has asked for a court date of Aug. 27, at which time Davis -- who police say confessed committing the robberies -- intends to plead not guilty to all counts.

He is now on unpaid suspension, the latest in a string of personal problems, his attorney said. In 1996, Davis was seriously hurt when his car hit a cow in Hawaii, where he had been living with his wife and two sons. Davis later divorced and filed for bankruptcy. Davis told police he robbed banks to help pay for airline tickets for his children to visit him, authorities said.

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