
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, August 12, 1994                   TAG: 9408120090
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                                 LENGTH: Short

CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN INDICTED

U.S. Rep. Walter Tucker was indicted Thursday on charges of extorting $30,000 from a company and demanding $250,000 more while he was Compton, Calif., mayor.

A federal grand jury indicted Tucker on eight counts of extortion and two counts of filing false tax returns, authorities said. Any income, legal or not, is subject to federal tax.

The indictment alleges that Tucker received $30,000 in bribes in 1991 and 1992 from Compton Energy Systems, which wanted to build a waste-to-energy plant. Tucker later demanded another $250,000 from the company, according to the indictment. No plant ever was built.

The company is not listed in the telephone book and could not be reached for comment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Manella refused to discuss the evidence against Tucker and most other details in the case. ``We'll have to wait for the trial,'' she said at a news conference.

Tucker, through his attorney, denied the charges.

``Mr. Tucker strongly maintains his innocence and he intends to vigorously fight the charges against him,'' said lawyer Carl Douglas.

by CNB