Former Mayor Gets Jail Sentence
by Elizabeth Fitch - News Star (excerpt)

The former mayor of Bonita will serve jail time for taking money from the public coffers.

Judge Scott Leehy sentenced Virgil Penn to three years in jail with all but one year suspended in 4th District Court in Bastrop on Thursday.

Leehy ordered Penn to pay a $1,000 fine plus $391 in restitution.

"In Morehouse Parish, we hold our public officials to a high standard," said assistant District Attorney Dion Young.

In July, Penn pleaded guilty to one count of malfeasance in office for failing to turn over money collected from traffic fines. According to police reports, witnesses claimed Penn had them write personal checks or money orders for driving citations. The money did not appear in the village's finances.