DA DOLES OUT $17,500 IN OVERTIME FOR SINGLE WORKER

Jim Bob Miller, the district attorney for Pittsburg and Haskell counties,
acknowledges he wrote a check for $17,500 from the district attorney's
forfeiture fund to pay an employee overtime pay.

Miller said he wrote the check, for approximately $17,500, to pay for 200
hours of "comp" time owed to Steven Fioretta, a Haskell County employee with
the Narcotics Task Force that is part of the district attorney's office.

Miller operates a Narcotics Task Force in conjunction with the McAlester
Police Department and Pittsburg County Sheriff's Department in Pittsburg
County, and he also works with local law enforcement in Haskell County.

Miller said Fioretta earned the overtime pay.

"The guy's owed the money, you pay it," he said.

Miller is set to leave office on Jan. 6, when Chris Wilson is set to be
sworn in as the new district attorney for Pittsburg and Haskell counties. He
dismissed any inferences he was draining accounts before he leaves office.

"There's $100,000 in the bogus check account in Pittsburg County and more
than $150,000 in the forfeiture account in Pittsburg County," Miller said.

He also said a forfeiture case is already filed in Haskell County seeking to
seize approximately $200,000 in cash and real estate in connection with drug
charges filed against Eddie Copeman.

Miller said Fioretta's overtime had been earned over a two-year period.
Miller has been in office nearly a year, replacing former District Attorney
Kalyn Free, who resigned to pursue another office.

Miller did not begrudge the overtime pay.

The district attorney said he can't tell an officer "in the middle of a drug
lab" to stop his investigation because he already has put in a 40-hour week.

This isn't the first time he's had to pay a lot of overtime, Miller said. He
said he also had to pay approximately 200 hours of overtime each to three
officers previously with the Narcotics Task Force when he laid them off,
shortly after taking office.

Miller said paying overtime pay from a forfeiture fund is legal and approved
by the District Attorney's Council. He said, however, the check for Fioretta
was sent back because of some improper paperwork. Miller said his office is
going to correct the paperwork.