Jul 18, 2007 7:48 pm US/Central
Rockwall DA Indicted On Felony Forgery Charges
ROCKWALL (AP) ―
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Rockwall County DA Galen Ray Sumrow
Austin Police Department
The Rockwall County district attorney accused of diverting taxpayer money into his personal account was indicted Wednesday on two additional criminal charges.
A two-count indictment returned by a Rockwall County grand jury accuses District Attorney Galen Ray Sumrow of forging the signature of an assistant district attorney on two checks from an office account in order to buy electronics.
"My judgment is that this has not been properly investigated," said James Wheeler, Sumrow's lawyer. "We are ready to go to trial. They are mistaken."
Both checks were used at Fry's in Dallas. One was from February 2006 for nearly $550 and the other was from November 2006 for nearly $1,400, according to the indictment.
Each felony forgery charge is punishable by up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Special prosecutor John Roach hinted that more indictments could be coming.
Sumrow is still prosecuting cases as district attorney in Rockwall County and will continue to do so, Wheeler said.
Sumrow was indicted in April on three charges of abuse of official capacity. The charges are related to three deposits of state money totaling nearly $68,000 made into Sumrow's personal account. He has since repaid the money.
He says the state comptroller's office made a mistake in depositing the money into his personal account. But investigators accuse Sumrow of using the money to pay child support, utilities and credit card bills.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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