| A Texas Cooperative Extension agent whose decades-long career in Fort Bend County ended in 2004 over a series of questions about finances was found not guilty of theft.
Shirley Brown, 53, of Sugar Land, had been facing trial together with Arnold Brown (no relation), 59, of Missouri City, on a two-county indictment of state jail felony theft.
The two were accused of pocketing grant money issued by the state of Texas that was intended to be used to discourage tobacco use among children. The money derived from court settlements against tobacco companies in the 1990s.
At 5 p.m. Friday, the jury hearing the case in the 240th District Court of Judge Thomas Culver III issued the verdict of not guilty for both. Shirley Brown said the verdict will allow her to “move forward with my life.”
“It's been a long five, six years, but I can't look back,” she said.
Arnold Brown, who ran the company Champion Services in 2002 and served as an Extension agent in Harris County, said he was relieved.
“I feel relieved; I feel like I can move on with my life,” he said.
Not in dispute is the fact that Shirley Brown, when she was an Extension agent, made a purchase order in 2002 for printing services in the amount of $3,991.16 to Champion Services. She wrote a check that Arnold Brown deposited in his bank account.
The purchase order was for the design and printing of brochures and other materials containing anti-tobacco messages, but according to testimony in the trial, Arnold Brown decided he did not have the time to print materials on a continual basis for the program.
Shirley Brown in trial said she ended up doing the printing work on her home computer, even though the job remained in the name of Champion Services. She said Arnold Brown refunded her the money in cash.
Shirley Brown said the anti-tobacco work was done on behalf of the Extension Program Council, which is a 501(c)3 non-profit that works in conjunction with the Extension Office, and she said getting brochures printed at $3,991 was a “bargain.”
Disputes arose as to whether Shirley Brown ever did more than a few printing jobs to keep up appearances.
Prosecutor Scott Carpenter argued in court that Shirley Brown had the purchase order made out to Arnold Brown's company so the two could pocket the cash. However, a series of witnesses, including former Extension Service Director Bouche Mickey, testified in favor of the two defendants, saying he saw brochures and that Shirley Brown did the work.
“They didn't have a case,” said defense attorney Don Bankston, who represented Shirley Brown. “This was a massive waste of taxpayers' money.”
The case was investigated by former Texas Ranger Jeff Cook, who left that position last year. Both defendants were indicted in 2005.
The Fort Bend County Extension Office is a collaboration between Fort Bend County and the Texas A M University system, offering a variety of educational services. Shirley Brown was terminated from her position as the family and consumer sciences agent in 2004.
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