14 DAY TRIAL // District Attorney Ray Sumrow has been charged with forgery after having built a gaming computer he presented as a backup server. Initially planned as a work computer, the district attorney used office funds in order to build a rig for personal use.
According to FBI computer senior forensic examiner Rod Gregg, more than 80 percent of the data stored on the computer was rather personal than work-related. Sumrow is currently being charged with forgery, theft and records tampering, as prosecutors claim he used the machine for personal purposes.
The alleged backup server is comprised of two hard drives, seven fans, high-end video and audio cards, a wireless Internet connection and cables that glow under ultraviolet light, which perfectly matches the description of a pimped-out gaming computer.
"I would not configure a backup computer in that way," Gregg said during the hearings. "When I saw that, I did not think of anything related to a government agency," he continued. More than that, Alan Timberlake, assistant director of information technology for Rockwall County, referred to the computer as "gimmicky" and claimed that it would rather match a college dorm room than a government agency.
However, according to Defense attorney James Wheeler, the district attorney built the alleged gaming rig with parts he purchased on sale. Sumrow seems to have paid the parts with a check drawn on the district attorney's "fee fund". This was possible after having forged his top assistant's signature on office checks and altering an invoice submitted to the county for payment.
Despite the fact that the law clearly stipulates that the district attorney can spend the money on office expenses (including supplies, equipment and employee salaries), he abused his position to use the money as a "personal slush fund."
If found guilty, Sumrow could face penalties for five felony charges - two forgeries, two thefts and one tampering with a government record, which would translate into either probation or up to 20 years in prison.