Stipe facing the music

And it's not a tune he particularly wanted to hear, either.

Gene Stipe, state senator since the Pleistocene era, has entered a guilty plea, admitting that he did in fact skirt election laws to funnel $245,189 to Walt Roberts' 1998 Congressional campaign. He could be fined twice that much — $490,378 — although it is not clear whether he will be required to serve any hard time. Formal sentencing will be in mid-June.