Southeast's Ferrell scholarship not affected by lawsuit

For now criminal charges filed against former Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell will not affect a Southeast Missouri State University scholarship endowed in his name.

Ferrell was indicted Feb. 23 for allegedly stealing funds from the "William Ferrell DARE and Crime Prevention Fund" by a Scott County grand jury. The investigation that led to the charge was prompted by a 2006 state audit that questioned how $18,200 was taken from the fund between Feb. 1, 2004, and Feb. 18, 2005. At the time Ferrell said the money belonged to him, but the charges allege the money belonged to Scott County.

Part of the DARE fund money, $10,000, went to endow a scholarship in Ferrell's name at Southeast Missouri State University through the university foundation. The scholarship provides $500 annually to a Scott County student studying criminal justice or prelaw at the university.

Foundation executive director Wayne Smith said the money is in the endowment pool, the scholarship has been created and listed with other university scholarships and will be awarded for the first time for the 2007-2008 academic year. Nothing will change with the way the university handles the money unless authorities ask the university to turn the money over.

"If a judge said we shouldn't have the money, we will return the money," Smith said. "Otherwise we will use it for its intended purpose."

Ferrell served for 28 years as sheriff before retiring Dec. 31, 2004. During his tenure, Ferrell's financial practices, such as collection of mileage fees for personal vehicles used for county business, were flagged by audits several times. But Ferrell was also a respected member of the county and his hometown of Sikeston, Mo., where he was honored several times over the years by community organizations.

Ferrell declined to comment on the scholarship Friday, and his attorney, James Robison of Sikeston, was unavailable for comment.

A new judge was recently assigned to Ferrell's case after Scott County Circuit Judge David Dolan recused himself. Bollinger County Circuit Judge Scott E. Thomsen has been assigned by the state Supreme Court to preside over the case, but no hearing dates have been set.

msanders@semissourian.com

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