Milestones
By David Bjerklie, Tam Gray, Daniel Levy, Lina Lofaro, Michele Orecklin, David Spitz, Flora Tartakovsky and Chris Taylor
CHARGED. GARY DALE HOKE, 25, employee of PairGain Technologies; with securities fraud; in Raleigh, N.C. Hoke is accused of creating a fake Bloomberg news-service report on the Internet that claimed that PairGain would be acquired for twice its price. The notice briefly caused the firm's stock to increase 30%.
CHARGED. SEAN ("PUFFY") COMBS, 29, rap superstar; with assaulting Interscope record executive Steven Stoute; in New York City. Combs was reportedly upset by the video for the song Hate Me Now, by Stoute's client, rap artist Nas. It includes a guest appearance by Combs, who is nailed to a cross. The video was aired on MTV before the alleged assault. Stoute says Combs was one of three men who attacked him. Combs could face seven years in prison if found guilty.
SENTENCED. BENAZIR BHUTTO, 46, former Prime Minister of Pakistan; to five years in prison; for corruption; in Islamabad. Bhutto, whose government was dissolved in November 1996, was also fined $8.6 million. She is currently in England and is expected to return to Pakistan to fight the charges.
DIED. ANTHONY NEWLEY, 67, showman; of cancer; in Jensen Beach, Fla. He co-wrote, directed and starred in the 1962 hit musical Stop the World--I Want to Get Off and helped write the Goldfinger theme and the score for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Newley was married three times, once to actress Joan Collins.
DIED. JEAN VANDER PYL, 79, actress and voice of Fred Flintstone's wife Wilma; of lung cancer; in Dana Point, Calif.
DIED. BOXCAR WILLIE, 67, country singer; of leukemia; in Branson, Mo. Born Lecil Travis Martin, Boxcar was the son of a railroad man and grew up alongside a train track. In the 1960s he spotted a hobo who reminded him of Willie Nelson and was moved to write the song Boxcar Willie. After 22 years in the Air Force, where he logged 10,000 hours as a flier, he adopted the hobo persona of stubble and a crumpled hat.