Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 24, 1995 TAG: 9511240064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Carl Baker, deputy secretary of public safety, said Wednesday that acting Chairman Bruce Morris will handle the issue.
Bumpers was to have been released on mandatory parole Oct. 23. A few days before his scheduled release, Metzger told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the Parole Board had decided to delay the release pending a decision by the Southampton County commonwealth's attorney on whether to prosecute Bumpers on new charges.
According to records, Bumpers allegedly used current and former Southampton Correctional Center employees to buy a car, open bank accounts and acquire cellular phones in August 1994 in an apparent check-kiting scheme.
The Southampton County Circuit Court clerk's office said Bumpers was not indicted Monday when the grand jury last met.
Metzger announced his resignation last week after an investigation by the state internal auditor's office into claims Metzger had backdated parole warrants and acted improperly by taking actions alone on cases, including Bumpers'.
State law allows the board to delay mandatory parole release up to six months - if within 30 days of a scheduled release new information arises ``that the release poses a clear and present danger to the life or physical safety of any person.''
Administration officials said the auditor's investigation of Metzger did not turn up any illegalities, but the Virginia State Police are now investigating Metzger's actions as chairman of the five-member Parole Board.
by CNB