The Orange Leader
August 25, 1988
FBI: Fund paid Wade's bills
By Mike Wheeler
Staff Reporter
SHERMAN - Suspended Orange County Sheriff James Wade used money form a county narcotics fund to pay personal bills, an FBI agent testified Wednesday.
Another federal witness testified Wednesday Morning that Wade was the "boss" of a drug trafficking scheme in Orange County, but Wade's attorney contended that the witness' mother was the one who actually was referred to as the "boss" in records the witness kept of the alleged drug operation.
Wade, 43, of Vidor is on trial in Grayson County accused by the government of embezzling Orange County funds and of financing and equipping a drug trafficking scheme in Orange County in 1986-1987.
FBI Special Agent roger Humphrey said Wednesday that Wade told FBI agents in an interview on Jan. 15 that Wade had taken money from an Orange County narcotics fund and had used the money to pay personal bills.
"During the interview, Sheriff Wade said he was about to tell (FBI Special Agent Norman) Townsend and me something that could go no farther than the room we were in and said he was in a strapped financial condition and had taken money from the narcotics fund and used it for personal reasons," Humphrey testified.
Humphrey said the sheriff admitted to taking money "on several occasions" from the fund, but , said Wade indicated during the interview that he had paid all the money back to the fund.
Humphrey said Wade told agents he had taken about $1,500 from the fund.
The first interview Wade during the FBI investigation into the alleged illegal activities of the sheriff, Humphrey said he had received a call from Assistant U. S. Attorney Stewart Platt on Jan. 15 indicating that Wade was at the U. S. Attorney's office in Beaumont inquiring about the FBI investigation.
Humphrey said Wade told agents that he had been ...................
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