Porter's financial records probed in murder trial

Accountant breaks down pastor's spending patterns

By SUSAN HERENDEEN
sherendeen@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

A prosecutor who says embezzlement is a motive for murder began to explore the bottom line Wednesday as the case against former pastor Howard "Doug" Porter continued to unroll in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

Forensic accountant Daniel Ray of San Francisco, formerly an FBI agent, told a jury that elderly rancher Frank Craig had $1.9 million when he ceded control of his estate to Porter, a country preacher who led Hickman Community Church for nearly two decades.

Ray, whose firm will be paid more than $100,000 for its analysis of 20 bank and investment accounts held by the two men, said he found a pattern when he followed the money, with Porter taking cash from Craig's accounts and writing checks to cover his personal expenses.

AT A GLANCE

• WHAT: The murder trial of Howard "Doug" Porter, 57, of La Grange

• THE ALLEGATIONS: Porter, pastor of Hickman Community Church for nearly two decades, is accused of embezzling $1.1 million from rancher Frank Craig, then staging two auto crashes to cover his tracks. Craig was crippled in a 2002 crash, and he drowned in a 2004 crash. Craig, 85 when he died, gave the preacher control of his finances because he thought Porter would help him build an agricultural museum to showcase farm equipment that Craig had collected over decades.

• WEDNESDAY'S ACTION: The jury heard from a bookkeeper from Denair Lumber Co., who said Porter used money from a museum foundation to purchase building materials that were delivered to a family compound off Highway 132 in La Grange. Next up was a forensic accountant hired by the district attorney's office, who said Porter made personal purchases using money from numerous accounts that were set up to fund the museum.

• WHAT'S NEXT: The trial resumes Friday, with a cross examination of the forensic accountant.
Past coverage: The Doug Porter case

He said Porter also issued checks to numerous members of his family, and used money Craig wanted to spend on an agricultural museum to pay for construction work done on the Porter family compound in La Grange.

As he reviewed a host of spreadsheets and flowcharts with Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne, a few key numbers stood out:

• $820,634 that was siphoned from Craig's investment and bank accounts directly benefited Porter, while other money was used to pay for museum or church-related expenses, or was spent on unknown purposes.

• Craig had $24,000 in his personal account and Porter had $1,500 in museum-related accounts March 5, 2002. That's the day Porter's truck veered off Lake Road and slammed into a tree, crippling Craig, who was in the passenger seat.

• Craig had $10,700 in his personal account and Porter had $4,500 in museum-related accounts on April 22, 2004. That's the day Craig's truck, driven by Porter, veered off an access road and landed in the Ceres Main Canal, where Craig drowned.

Craig and Porter entered into a business relationship in 1999, when Craig inherited $2.5 million from a brother and dreamed of using the money to build a museum that would showcase farm equipment he'd collected over decades.

Craig enlisted the preacher's help, making Hickman Community Church his beneficiary and Porter the executor of his estate. Later, Craig gave Porter power over his finances and health care decisions as well.

The jury has heard from a parade of witnesses who said Craig grew suspicious of Porter in his final months, and promised to confront the preacher, believing money he set aside for the museum instead had been spent on a four-house compound in La Grange where Porter and his adult children lived.

Porter, 57, is suspected of staging the two wrecks to cover his alleged embezzlement.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, theft or embezzlement from an elder by a caretaker and elder abuse causing death. He has been held without bail since his arrest Nov. 27, 2006. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

The trial began May 12 and is expected to stretch into late July. Testimony from Ray continues Friday, when defense attorney Kirk McAllister is expected to cross-examine the accountant. The court is taking a break today.

Bee staff writer Susan Herendeen can be reached at sherendeen@modbee.com or 578-2338.