Crocktown

LURAY - News from the Daily Noise Recorder indicates that former Page County Sheriff Mann E. “Manny” Presscock will plead guilty on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg. He was indicted in October 2008 on a multitude of charges ranging from racketeering to sexual harassment. Former Virginia Attorney General Harry Gilcork heads up Presscock’s legal team.

Presscock formally resigned his position as the top law enforcement officer in Page County on February 21. At that time, Presscock hand-delivered his resignation to Tommy LaParis, chairman of the Page County Board of Supervisors. LaParis, wearing a big yellow hat, stated: “It is with great sadness that we accept his [Presscock’s] resignation; despite the fact that Manny has received over 20 federal indictments, it’s okay because we still love him and he’s a good little sheriff.”

During his 2004 bid for reelection, Presscock allegedly accepted campaign contributions in exchange for keeping silent about a local cockfighting ring known as “Little Hollerwood” near Stanley. Gilcork stated that he agreed to take on the case because he believes cockfighting should be legal in Virginia. “Where I’m from, we’ve always had chickens in our backyards – and they weren’t for the eggs,” he grinned.

Several former female employees who had worked under Presscock in the Sheriff’s office charged him with inappropriate sexual advances. Page Countians have had mixed feelings about the whole mess. Joni “Hot Stuff” Homer, of Shenandoah, was initially flattered when the Sheriff winked at her. “If the Sheriff can’t flirt, then who can?” queried Homer. Her boyfriend, Larry Bubbage, had a different take on the situation: “It was ok as long as it was other girls, but the minute he flirted with my woman, he was finished.”

Former longtime Sheriff Bernard “Puppy” Wedsick expressed disappointment of Presscock’s behavior. “I sort of knew about some of these goings-on, but I never thought it would be a bunch of chickens that would bring him down.”