DA, former auditor answer questions in theft case

Minyard solely responsible for embezzlement, Martin says

Van Zandt County District Attorney Chris Martin held a press conference Dec. 22  “to discuss some of the continuing questions regarding the Van Zandt County tax assessor-collector investigation and prosecution” that resulted in J.J. Minyard pleading no contest to taking more than $178,000 from county coffers.

Martin told those gathered in the county court at law courtroom that “the investigation is over. There are no co-conspirators. She acted alone.  The evidence points to that and J.J. Minyard told me that herself.”

After Minyard’s plea hearing, conviction and fingerprinting, Martin said she told him “if you will come see me, I will tell you about this case.” Martin said he arranged through Minyard’s attorney to visit her in the Henderson County Jail. (Female Van Zandt County inmates are housed in Henderson County.)

“We sat down and she fully disclosed everything to me,” Martin said. “She told me the investigation was spot on, that the manipulation of the deposit slips is exactly how she did it.”

According to Martin, Minyard told him she “waited for all her employees to get her stuff together and she took a blank deposit slip and on the way to the bank, she manipulated it.  Christy Whitaker had nothing to do with this crime.  Phyllis Humphries, Darlene Davis, no one else in that office had anything to do with this crime, according to J.J. Minyard,” Martin said, “And that’s supported by all the evidence.  J.J. Minyard said ‘Chris, you had to know it was me. It had my handwriting all over it.  No one else did anything with those deposits except me.’ ”

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