Beaumont Enterprise
August 26, 1988
Witnesses tell of Wade's expenses, missing drugs
by Margaret Toal
Staff Writer
SHERMAN - James Wade made a total of $35,276 in loan payments to eight different financial institutions during 1987, witnesses testified Thursday in Wade's federal trial.
Wade's total annual earnings as Orange County sheriff were $41,200.
Other witnesses Thursday included two chemists from the Jefferson County Regional Crime Laboratory who testified about drugs they said are missing from the Orange County Sheriff's Department evidence room.
Fred Patterson said lab reports showed that 18.49 pounds of marijuana are missing from a 1986 confiscation.
Bill McClain testified 87 percent of 55.35 grams of methamphetamine in a canister is missing from January 1986 arrest.
Donnie Flowers, a prosecution witness, named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment against Wade, testified earlier that Wade gave him those drugs.
Federal prosecutors Thursday presented nine witnesses from eight financial institutions, including banks and credit unions. They testified from records about Wade's 1987 financial status at their institutions.
Records submitted showed Wade presented a toal of $6,817 in cash to two banks in 1987.
That figure included $4,775 in cash deposits to the James Wade Special Account at First City Bank Orange and Two cash payments totaling $2, 042 for loans at First City Bank Beaumont, records showed.
Louise Flurry, assistant vice president at First City Bank Orange, testified Wade began 1987 with $11, 187 in out standing loans and ended the year with $16,280 in outstanding loans at the bank.
She said Wade opened a checking account listed as James Wade Special Account on March 12, 1987. Wade and Donald Duhon could sign on the account, she said but records show Duhon never wrote a check or made a deposit. Duhon was deputy sheriff then.
Flurry read records from the account that showed three checks from Wade to Duhon totaling $450 in April, May and July of 1987.
The records showed Wade deposited checks issued to him by the Orange County treasurer, along with cash.
Wade's defense attorney, in opening statements to the jury, said Wade used the account for the Explorer Scout group he sponsored.
Wade, as Orange County sheriff, earned $29,800 a year in gross salary, plus an annual $11,400 car allowance, county records not yet submitted in court show.
Wade's wife, Neva, owns and operates a beauty shop in a mobile home outside of their Vidor residence.
Orange County Auditor Tod Mixson was present outside the courtroom Thursday waiting to testify.
A federal grand jury indicted Wade in May on 10 counts, including conpiracy to make and sell illegal drugs and embezzlement from the county drug investigation fund.
Wade has pleaded innocent, and his defense attorney has told the jury Wade pretended to be crooked to catch drug dealers.
A state district judge ordered Wade removed from office on July 11.
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