Video Poker 24/7 - More Witnesses Come Forward in Medford Trial

Video Poker 247 - More Witnesses Come Forward in Medford Trial

As the days go on, things are looking bleaker and bleaker for former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford and his co-defendants. Medford is accused of accepting illegal payouts for protecting those companies that have video poker machines and weren’t supposed to.

Medford and his co-defendants are accused of extorting money from gambling operators, money laundering and conspiracy to run an illegal business. They allegedly took money from the gambling businesses in exchange for allowing them to run illegal video poker machines.

They would turn a blind eye to the video poker businesses, and tip them off if officials were getting too close to them so that they could hide the machines. Under state law video poker machines are supposed to be registered so that county tax officials are aware of them and they can be regulated by county sheriffs. They are also subject to property taxes as business equipment.

The testimonies that have been coming from Henderson Amusements, Inc. have been some of the most damning. The latest was the bookkeeper for the company – Anna Deaton – who testified about the various payoffs to Medford and his co-workers.

Deaton has evidence that points to the various codes that were put on receipts that listed which official got what payout. The men accused of accepting the video poker bribes have all maintained their innocence and say that Deaton is mistaken in her recollections. The latest is Haywood County Sheriff Tom Alexander who has been linked to it. Many are having a hard time believing that as he is a well respected official within the community.

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