Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 24, Ed. 1 Monday, December 4, 1989 Page: 1 of 16
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BEST AVAILABLE COPY !
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BURLESON^STAR
COPYRIGHT? 1999 BURLESON STAR
FIFTY CENTS
16 PAGES IN ? SECTION
MONDAY
EDITION
Vol. 25 No. 24
December 4, 1989
Polygraph leads to
Moulder's dismissal
Doak assumes jail administrator post
DeFrancis drives
the base line
Burlnm Star/RAY PRICK
Chris DeFrancis (14) drives to the hoop in Tuesday's Elk action against
Carter-Riverside. Alan Ayers led the Elks in scoring with 24 points
while DeFrancis pumped in another 10. Their offensive efforts were in
vain as the Elks fell to the Eagles 68-55. The Eagle victory revenged a
defeat suffered at the hands of Elks earlier this season. See story and
related photos on Page 6.
By RAY PRICE
< The second ranking officer in
the Johnson County Sheriffs De-
partment has been dismissed follow-
ing reports that he was involved in
theft of inmate property of the
Johnson County Jail.
Sheriff Eddy Boggs confirmed
Friday that Jail Administrator CapL
DJ. Moulder was fired from his
position Nov. 29 because of informa-
tion his office received from the
Texas Rangers.
The information, he added, was.
related to the Rangers' investigation
into claims by Ray Lancaster that
property was stolen during a drug
raid in 1987.
Boggs, however, would not
comment on the nature of the inves-
tigation and referred inquiries to the
District Attorney’s office.
District Attorney Dan Boul-
ware was out of town this week and
unavailable for comment.
A source close to the investiga-
tion said Friday that Moulder took
and failed a polygraph examination
on Wednesday.
Later the same day, according to
the source, Moulder admitted to
Rangers George Turner and Ray Nutt
that he had stolen money during his
career with the sheriffs department
related to the Lancaster accussations.
Turner said that his office could
not comment on the investigation or
the polygraph.
"DPS (Department of Public
Safety) has a policy that prohibits
any comment on polygraphs—I can't
even comment on whether they were
given."
Assistant District Attorney Bill
Mason did offer comment on the
Rangers’ investigation.
"No charges have been filed
(against Moulder) at this time but I
Cross Timbers to resist lawsuit
As promised, residents of Cross
Timbers filled the Burleson City
Council chamber last Thursday,
Nov. 30, to plead their case for in-
corporation.
Jackie Green, chairman of the
committee formed to incorporate the
area southwest of Briaroaks, told the
council his group is prepared to resist
a lawsuit if the city chooses to file
one.
"First let me say that we did not
' '
directives
* - 'C ' ?
Parker plans
to follow
— >■
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thhmhm
■ . ....
Burleson Independent School
District Superintendent Gordon
Cockerham announced late last
week that Athletic Director and
Head Football Couch John Parker
had agreed to follow directives set
in late November by the district's
trustees. * >
Cockerham said Parker hid
notified his office that he would
seek new offensive and defensive
coordinators for the Elks 1990
football season. *
Trustees ordered Parker to
replace those currently holding the
in ah effort to upgrade
> 0-10. I
I teams in I
Parker .
: trustees e
■ *
encroach on Burleson's extra territo-
rial jurisdiction," Green addressed
the council. "Your city staff knows
' this as well as I do. Let me read you
a paragraph from a letter written and
signed by C. Scott Cline, Burleson
city planner..."
Green produced a letter ad-
dressed to Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Lett
from Cline which states, in part,
"...Any annexation ordinance for the
City of Burleson would have been
prepared by this office. Again, I can
assure you that no such ordinance
has been prepared or exists at this
point in time. Although the city has
expressed interest in acquiring this
area within our extraterritorial juris-
diction, it is for the sole purpose of
maintaining a continuous planning
area beneficial to all residents of
North Central Johnson County..."
In the letter Cline also states
"...there is no truth to the rumor that
annexation proceedings were about
to begin..."
Green asked the council why the
city staff recommended filing of the
lawsuit.
"It is my contention and opinion
that a small group of wealthy land-
owners who live in Cross Timbers
are using the City of Burleson's re-
sources to attempt to overthow the
results of our elections,” he said,
adding, "They could not win at the
ballot box so they are using their
friends on the Burleson staff to at-
tempt to reverse the results of the
election."
* Green asked the council to "stop
the harassment"
"We the people of Cross Tim-
bers do not believe the people of
Burleson want you to waste tax
money on a lawsuit to harass the
people of Cross Timbers," he said.
"We believe the people of Burleson
believe in the democratic process
and our right to determine our own
destiny. I ask you in the spirit of a
good neighbor to stop this harass-
ment by voting to rescind the author-
ity of your city attorney to file suit
against Cross Timbers. Don't waste
Burleson taxpayers' money or our
money on this frivolous lawsuit."
Not everyone in Cross Timbers
favors the incorporation, such as
Eddie Herrera, a social worker resid-
ing in the area, who addressed the
council Thursday night.
Herrera informed council mem-
bers he felt the incorporation was
done too hastily and questioned
motives for the action. He stated the
area should be considered in the
broad picture of northern Johnson
County mid not just a small town of
Cross Timbers.
Green presented a letter distrib-
utedbyAl and Marie Lett prior to the
election which informed residents to
consider the effects of incorporation.
"Before the residents of the pro-
posed Town of Cross Timbers vote,
we should all be aware of a few
facts," the letter states. ” Immediately
upon incorporation, it becomes the
Town of Cross Timbers' responsibil-
ity to provide all residents within the
newly-incorporated area the follow-
ing: police protection, fire protec-
tion, solid waste collection, mainte-
nance of water and wastewater fa-
cilities, maintenance of all roads and
streets, maintenance of parks, play-
grounds. swimming pools, etc.,
maintenance of any other publicly
owned facility or services."
The letter also states that resi-
dents will be required to fund the
expense of purchasing vehicles,
equipment, ami materials to provide
some of the services; pay staff mem-
bers salaries; as well pay taxes for the
above.
"If the municpality is estab-
lished there is a very strong possib-
lity that the Town of Cross Timbers
could be sued for damages," the
letter states.
f
"Since the Town of Cross Tim-
bers has no assets or money, you as a
landowner would be expected to
defend the suit”
The Letts concluded by asking
residents to consider their points
when voting for incorporation.
Following the presentations on
Cross Timbers, the council took no
action to rescind the city attorney's
authority to file a suit against the
incorporation. City Attorney J.L
Please see CITY, Page 4
DJ. MOULDER
did have a conversation with Turner
yesterday (Thursday).
"Turner told me that Moulder
flunked the polygraph *big time' but
did not discuss the particulars."
Mason said that if the theft is
over the $750 level, Moulder could
face felony theft or felony official
misconduct charges.
If the total of the theft is under
$750 amount, then both the theft and
the misconduct charge become mis-
demeanorsand willhe prosecutedby
County Attorney'Bale Hanna.
Mason said the final decision on
which charges may be filed will rest
in the hands of a grand jury.
"No matter what the amount of
the theft, the matter will be looked
into by a grand jury along with all the
other information obtained in the
investigation.
"I expect that information to be
presented to the grand jury some-
time in Decen 'ier."
Mason's ti ne table on the grand
jury agrees with that of Turner who
said the Rangers' investigation
would be completed before Christ-
mas.
Moulder's suspected involve-
ment in criminal activity has come as
a surprise to everyone involved with
the sheriffs department.
A 15 year department veteran.
Moulder has always had a strong
support base in the county commu-
nity and had recently filed as acandi-
date for the Pcl 4 commissioner's
seat.
Of all those who knew Moulder,
perhaps none were surprised as much
as Boggs.
"Yes, I was surprised," said
Boggs. "DJ. and I have been in gun
fights together. He has gone through
most of the drug raid doors I've gone
through. He has covered my back on
many occasions.
"I trusted him and in this work
you have to trust someone."-
Boggs added that this -recent
development had left him with a
feeling of betrayal—"not the angry
kind, but the hurting kind.”
The dimissal of Moulder has
caused a shuffling of jail personnel.
Don Doak, the former chief cor-
rections officer, has assumed the role
of jail adminstrator.
Sgt. John Dunning, who retired
from the Navy before joining the
Johnson County Sheriffs Depart-
ment two years ago, has taken over
Doflk'spld^; -
Boggs said the conversion from
Moulder to Doak wouldn't create any
problems for the department
"I have a lot of confidence in
Don. He is among the most educated
in the department His background,
his education, and his efforts in the
department over the past year prove
he can be a good administrator."
"Like anyone, he has a few
faults, but he has the strength to rec-
ognize them and try to work through
them.”
Doak, who holds a degree in .
criminal justice from Tarleton State
University, has been with the de-
partment for one year.
m
Law firm retained to
■
collect delinquent taxes
% x
Tbe Arlington law firm of Perdue, Brandon and Fielder has been
retained by the city of Burleson to aid in the collection of delinquent
takes. AR persons and businesses who owe delinquent taxes have
recently been contacted by a letter from the firm. *
A partner in the firm, Bruce Medley, stated, "Perdue, Brandon
and Fielder sends notification to all taxpayers owing delinquent taxes
in case of oversight by the taxpayers. If delinquent taxes remain
unpaid, the firm will seek all available remedies under law, including
foreclosures and seizures of persunaf property."
The law firm, whose contract began Nov, 1, will start filing
lawsuits against delinquent taxpayers this week (the first week of
December.) ^
11......
Economically
speaking...
Professor Paul Geisel of UTA's Department of Economics bad bis
audience at the Holiday Inn South in tears of laughter often ai 1
listening intently , too, when he passed along some learned advice on
economic development for Burleson. The local chamber sponsored the
annual event Wednesday with a multi-speaker agenda from 10 a.m.
until 4 pan. See story, Pg. 7.
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Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 24, Ed. 1 Monday, December 4, 1989, newspaper, December 4, 1989; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760719/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.