Ex-mayor faces jail time

By Jay F. Marks

Published: January 11, 2008

Longtime Elk City leader Guy R. Hylton Jr. sat stoically Thursday as a federal judge in Oklahoma City sentenced him to six months in prison for negligently exposing state prison inmates to asbestos during a 2003 renovation project.

Hylton, 55, was convicted in August on a misdemeanor count of negligent endangerment, although he and work crew manager Chick Arthur Little, 57, had been indicted on three felony counts stemming from the renovation of a century-old railroad depot owned by the city.

Hylton, a former Elk City mayor who has been city manager since 1993, has maintained he did not know there was asbestos in the building, an assertion he made from the witness stand during his trial.

But U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton concluded Hylton had lied under oath, noting other witnesses testified they had warned him the old Rock Island Railroad Depot might contain asbestos.

Prosecutor Randy Sengel said Hylton ignored those warnings, opting not to seek a $25 test to confirm whether the building's insulation contained asbestos.

"He just didn't care,” Sengel said.

Heaton commended Hylton for his dedication to public service but also scolded him for putting inmate work crews at risk.

Heaton said there was ample proof Hylton knew or should have known the building contained asbestos, which is made up of microscopic fibers that can cause lung damage if inhaled.

"He certainly had the authority or the responsibility to deal with those issues,” the judge said, rejecting Hylton's plea for lenience.

"We look forward to a vindication in the 10th (U.S.) Circuit (Court of Appeals in Denver),” Martin said.

He said he hopes Hylton will be able to keep his job during his appeal.

Elk City officials have stood by Hylton, pledging to finance his legal defense after he and Little, the work crew manager, were indicted in December 2006.

Little, who was convicted of negligent endangerment and a felony count of lying to a state Department of Environmental Quality investigator, was sentenced Thursday to eight months in prison.

"These prison sentences should send a strong message of deterrence to public officials regarding the need to obey our environmental laws,” U.S. Attorney John Richter said in a news release.

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