Judge orders trial for ex-DA charged in embezzlement

The Oklahoman

Published: August 2, 2007

A former district attorney was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on a charge he embezzled money his office had taken as evidence in a drug case, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said.

Associate District Judge David Martin of Cherokee County ended former prosecutor Richard Gray's preliminary hearing and ordered him to trial on one count of embezzlement, Edmondson said.

Gray was indicted in October by the state's multicounty grand jury on allegations of taking almost $9,000 in seized drug money while he was in office, Edmondson said.

The grand jury accused Gray of taking the drug money from the drug task force safe under the guise of putting the money into a safety deposit box, Edmondson said.

"We allege Gray took the money, but never deposited it with the county treasurer,” Edmondson said. "We allege he is the last person to have possession of the funds.”

Gray was former district attorney for Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties. He was defeated in last year's election.

No trial date has been set, Edmondson said.

The multicounty grand jury previously indicted two others in the investigation into the Cherokee County district attorney's office, Edmondson's office said.

Janet Bickel, former assistant district attorney, and Vyrl Keeter, officer administrator, were indicted in January 2006 after the investigation discovered drug possession, tampering with evidence and a cover-up scheme, Edmondson's office said Wednesday.

Both pleaded guilty to the charges.

Bickel pleaded guilty in September to taking drugs from a Tahlequah crime scene for her own use and trying to cover it up. She also pleaded guilty to lying to a state grand jury about personal drug buys.

Keeter pleaded guilty to encouraging witnesses to lie in testimony before the state's multicounty grand jury.

"Our judicial system only works if those charged with executing it do so in a manner that upholds the public trust,” Edmondson said. "A district attorney who violates that trust should be held to the same legal standard as the criminals they have themselves prosecuted.”

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