Hoover Indicted Again--on Same Charges

Two weeks ago, reporters and photographers flocked to the U.S. attorney’s office for the press conference fanfare that accompanied a 234-count grand jury indictment of Nancy Hoover, the former J. David & Co. executive who has sparked the ire--at times crazed--of former J. David investors.

Last week, with considerably less hoopla--in fact, none at all--federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment against Hoover. The 234 counts were the same, and the indictment was 40 pages long, equal to the original. The only difference: the calculations for the amount of federal tax Hoover owed by allegedly not reporting all of her income.

She allegedly owed $200,497 in federal income taxes for 1980 through 1983; the original indictment shows that amount at $186,038.

“There was no mistake in figuring,” insisted Assistant U.S. Atty. S. Gay Hugo, who brought the indictment against Hoover. “The information presented to the grand jury was accurate. Obviously, there was a mistake in proofreading.”

On Monday, Hoover pleaded not guilty, again, to the new indictment, this time before U.S. District Judge Earl B. Gilliam.

Both sides agreed Monday morning to ask that the case be declared complex, which means that Hoover will waive her right to a speedy trial.

Indeed, the legal discovery process is expected to take several months. Next court hearing, simply to discuss the status of discovery: Jan. 26.

Clark Gets New Lease on Jail

It has been more than two years since a federal grand jury indicted Larry Kent Clark on 22 counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with his New England Commercial Corp., a fraudulent, San Diego-based equipment leasing firm.

Clark’s colleague, Gary Nixon Parker, is 14 months into his five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.

But Clark, known in these parts as Joseph A. Butler, managed to elude authorities, who indicted him while he was on the lam.

But no more. Three weeks ago, Clark was caught in Florida. He’ll appear before U.S. District Judge J. Lawrence Irving, who sentenced Parker, next Monday.

Starting the Holiday Reruns

It was just another day-after-Thanksgiving shopping hoopla story, and reporters were fairly running into each other at area shopping centers interviewing consumers.

Our Greg Johnson bumped into one San Diego newspaper reporter in Mission Valley whose lament was akin to the shoppers he was covering.

“I hate doing this story,” he complained. “But every year I’m out doing it again.”

From the Love Boat Folks

Vacation Village, which kept its own name despite its marriage three years ago to Princess Cruises Resorts & Hotels, has finally made the name-change plunge.

As of Monday, the Mission Bay resort is known as the San Diego Princess.

Fellow hoteliers will help toast the new name when they meet next week for their monthly Hotel-Motel Assn. gathering.

A Good Week at TCS Enterprises

Financier Tom Stickel has reason to beam these days. Last week, the 37-year-old San Diegan scored a picture and blurb in Money magazine, which pinned his net worth at $7.5 million.

Then on Monday, his TCS Enterprises Inc. reported $210,000 in earnings for the year ended Oct. 31--a turnaround from the $454,000 loss reported last year.

Offered Stickel, in typical moneyman fashion: “The earnings report was a lot more important for us than the magazine article.”

Alterations for Tailor

Joe la Fata is calling it quits after eight years at his upscale California Tailors clothier in North Park--the victim, he says, of increased and intense fashion competition from big retail chains.

“The last couple of years has been tough on retail,” he said. “I don’t want to compete with all the department stores.”

La Fata, 48, has been a tailor since he was a 10-year-old in Salerno, Sicily. He’ll reopen next month as La Fata Tailoring, offering custom suits starting at $450.

Under different ownerships, California Tailors has been on Ray Street in North Park for 35 years, La Fata said.