DATE: Friday, November 21, 1997             TAG: 9711210648

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   46 lines

PAID BINGO WORKERS ADDED TO CIVIL LAWSUIT

Several people who testified at the George West trial that they had been paid to work bingo for the Deep Creek Baseball Association now face legal action.

West, a former bingo manager for the youth baseball group, was convicted on two of 10 charges that he took part in a scheme to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars from the youth league's bingo games. At the trial, West admitted that he illegally paid people who worked bingo games for the nonprofit league, but said it was a widespread practice in Hampton Roads.

Some of the people who testified that they were paid for their bingo work have been added to a civil lawsuit filed by the baseball league. That lawsuit originally sought $1 million in damages, an amount a judge could triple if a conspiracy were proven.

The lawsuit was amended to include new names and to demand an additional $350,000 in punitive damages.

The recent legal action against the bingo workers demonstrates the risk some of them took in testifying on West's behalf. Each was asked by West's lawyer whether they understood that their testimony could be incriminating.

During trial, Amy Ferrell, a bingo worker at Deep Creek for about a year, testified that she understood the risk, then said: ``I don't think it's fair that George is getting blamed for taking the money that we got paid with.''

Some who testified had been audited by the Internal Revenue Service, and faced payment of back taxes and fines.

Named in the original lawsuit were: West, the league's former bingo manager.

Barbara Ocker, a volunteer at the bingo games, who served for a short time as game manager.

Rogelio Legarda, a player who served briefly as league accountant.

A bingo supply company, Frank Moran & Sons Inc. of Baltimore, and Keith H. Ward, a local employee.

The new names added to the lawsuit are: Melody Plummer, Christine Stephens, Craig Smith, Carolyn T. Ferguson, Jerry Ferrell, Amy Ferrell and Andre M. Morris Sr. Most were bingo workers who testified at the West trial.

``There were admissions at the trial of George West about payments that indicated there was more going on than we believed at the time of the original filing,'' said Mitchell M. Breit, a lawyer representing the baseball association in the civil matter. ``It's bigger than I thought.'' KEYWORDS: BINGO FRAUD CIVIL LAWSUIT

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