NEWS

Another person may plead guilty in Cochran photo case

Jimmie E. Gates

A second person charged with conspiring to photograph U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's bedridden wife may enter a guilty plea.

Richard Sager's attorney, Tom Fortner of Hattiesburg, said negotiations on a plea deal are ongoing, but a final deal has yet to be reached.

Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest couldn't be reached.

Sager, a Laurel P.E. teacher and soccer coach, is charged with tampering with evidence, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and/or a $3,000 fine, and conspiracy, which carries a maximum five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

Sager and three other supporters of state Sen. Chris McDaniel's campaign against Cochran were arrested in May and accused of conspiracy to photograph Rose Cochran in her nursing home room for a political video.

One of the defendants, Ridgeland attorney Mark Mayfield, apparently took his own life in June. Another defendant, John Mary of Hattiesburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy last month in a plea deal. He agreed to cooperate in the prosecution of the other defendants if their cases went to trial.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Mary received no jail time and could have the conviction wiped from his record, provided he cooperates and completes probation.

Guest said Mary's help "will be crucial" in a case that made national news amid a bitter Republican primary between Cochran and McDaniel.

Guest said after Mary's guilty plea, he believed it could lead to a domino effect of others pleading guilty.

Sager remains in his position with the Laurel School District, Superintendent Chuck Benigno said Tuesday. It's uncertain how a guilty plea might affect Sager's employment with the school district.

If Sager pleads guilty, it would leave aspiring blogger Clayton Kelly of Pearl as the only remaining defendant. Authorities said Kelly wanted to make a name for his "Constitutional Clayton" blog. He's accused of sneaking into the nursing home.

Kelly's attorney, Kevin Camp, said Tuesday he was aware that a good plea offer was being made to Sager by prosecutors, but he said his client is in a different situation than Mary or Sager, meaning he may not get the same plea deal.

"We will continue to talk to them, but if we can't get a good offer, we are prepared to go to trial," Camp said.

Camp said there is still a question whether his client committed a crime under Mississippi law.

"It may have been unethical, but was it a crime?" Camp said of Kelly allegedly taking the photo of Cochran's wife.