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| Philip Chidester will have psychiatric evaluation |
Philip Chidester |
Friday, October 30, 2009
By KEN BRADLEY - Staff Writer
A trial for a Boones Mill man charged with two counts of welfare fraud that was scheduled for Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court was postponed until a psychiatric evaluation is completed on the man.
Philip Lyon Chidester, 53, is charged with fraudulently receiving food stamps from the Department of Social Services.
Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood said Chidester allegedly received food stamps fraudulently because he did not tell social services he is a convicted felon.
The maximum sentence Chidester could receive on each of the welfare charges is 20 years in prison if he is convicted, Hapgood said.
Chidester pleaded guilty in September 2007 to 10 counts of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with all but 12 months suspended. He was also placed on probation for five years after serving the 12 months in jail and ordered to be of good behavior for life.
In addition, the judge ordered that Chidester have sex offender treatment and that he register as a sex offender.
The child pornography charges against Chidester were levied after authorities found child pornography on his computer. Chidester testified that he was drinking and taking Oxycodone when the child pornography pictures were found on his computer.
In June 2009, Chidester was sent to jail for 30 days for a probation violation, according to court records.
A new trial date has not been set on the fraud charges. |
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