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Potter County Sheriff convicted of bribe taking; comprehensive audit needed of jail commissary contract awards

An all-woman jury yesterday in Amarillo brought back a guilty verdict against Potter County Sheriff Mike Shumate for taking bribes from the Dallas-based commissary manager, Mid-America Services. The "bribes" the state was able to prove were mostly meals, though quite a few of them, according to the Amarillo Globe News ("Shumate guilty," June 13): Shumate testified he never took any bribes, but did say he accepted meals from Austin and Jack Madera, the founder of Mid-America. Prosecutors with the Texas Attorney General's Office have shown receipts and bank statements that show Shumate attended about 36 meals with Madera and/or Austin that were paid for by the Mid-America employees. During testimony, Shumate said Madera offered him $10,000, but that he declined the money...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on June 14, 2008 (boomark / email).