Players case over in Edwards trial; finances next

Natalie Gott

Monday, Feb. 28, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. - Former Gov. Edwin Edwards' financial transactions and his friend Andrew Martin's duties - or lack of them - at the Governor's Mansion were the subject of testimony as their federal racketeering trial resumed today in Baton Rouge.

Prosecutors appeared to begin laying the groundwork to claim Edwards spent more money than he legitimately made in the mid 1990s. They called two FBI witnesses who provided a general review of Edwards' records seized in 1997.

A third witness today was Desiree Worsley, a former Edwards aide at the mansion.

Desiree Worsley said she did bookkeeping for Edwards from 1995 until some time after he left office in 1996. She said she recorded checks deposited into one account, and that she sometimes took note of cash transactions Edwards entered into ledgers.

Worsley also said she could not think of any duties that Martin performed at the mansion, although he held the title executive assistant. Her testimony about Martin echoed that of another former aide at the mansion, Sid Moreland, who testified early in the trial.

Under cross examination from Martin's attorney, Sonny Garcia, Worsley said she did not attend any meetings with Andrew Martin, but was aware that Martin often traveled with Edwards.

Worsley acknowledged that she and Moreland dated for several years and recently broke up.

Testimony this week is expected to revolve around the large sums of cash that Edwards allegedly used to pay for expensive items including jewelry and part of his house.

Edwards, his son, Stephen, state gambling board member Ecotry Fuller, Martin and three others are being tried on charges they manipulated the riverboat gaming licensing process to make a profit.

Edwin Edwards appointed the now-defunct Riverboat Gaming Commission, which granted preliminary approval for casino licenses, as well as the head of state police, the agency that granted final license approval.

In opening statements in the eight-week long trial, prosecutors said they would prove that Edwin and Stephen Edwards spent more money in cash than they reported in income in 1994 through 1996.

Prosecutors are expected to question contractors and others who were paid in cash by Edwin and Stephen Edwards, including Edwin Edwards' daughter, Anna. Other family members may be called to testify.

This aspect of the case follows damaging testimony from a longtime friend of the Edwards' family.

Former casino consultant Ricky Shetler testified for three days last week that he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, cars and home furnishings to Edwin and Stephen Edwards. Ledgers, bank statements, invoices and conversations secretly recorded by the FBI backed up Shetler's testimony.

Later in the week, prosecutors are expected to begin their fourth alleged casino payoff scheme, which charges Stephen Edwards and defendant Bobby Johnson with extorting the owners of the Belle of Baton Rouge casino.