Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 16, 1993 TAG: 9312160131
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAREN BARNES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
Billy Eugene Belcher Jr. of Goodview is charged with creating a fictitious company to divert more than $56,000 from his employer into his personal account. He is accused of using his position as manager of Star Enterprise Sales Terminal in Montvale to write checks and submit false invoices from August 1991 through December 1992.
According to witnesses who testified in Wednesday's preliminary hearing, some invoices Belcher submitted to the Houston headquarters claimed J&B Equipment performed work that was never done, including repairs, construction and installation of lighting.
In other incidents, he asked contract workers to falsify invoices as repayment for personal loans, according to one witness. Edward Mills, a former maintenance man, testified that Belcher instructed him to inflate invoices, which Belcher then would approve, so Mills could be repaid money Belcher borrowed from him. "It was for backhoe work, but I never did it," he said of one tampered invoice.
Belcher's attorney, Barry Tatel, argued that his client received the money as a paid consultant with the company and even reported it to the Internal Revenue Service as income. But Star Enterprise's director of security, Bruce List, said company policy prohibits employees from receiving both a paycheck and an outside consulting fee.
List also told the court that Belcher used the Social Security number of his wife, Jane, during the transactions.
Bedford County Sheriff's Investigator Ray Mayhew testified that during questioning of Belcher last spring, Belcher said he and his wife were the owners of J&B Equipment, but the company did not have any other employees or any equipment.
Mayhew also said Belcher told him he hadn't done any of the work because he lacked the expertise.
Belcher was fired from Star Enterprise in January. The case now moves to the grand jury, which meets Jan. 4.
by CNB