Since he wasn't charged with taking money from evidence envelopes, it's possible someone just made the allegation without real proof - just on the chance it might stick. JMO, a lot of the charges against Reader came from baseless rumors or exaggeration of fact, fairly typical in these situations.
As for April 22, if there is any connection, I see it more as someone knowing Reader would be gone that day. If so, it would indicate someone w/in the PCSD was giving info to the W's. Include other offices in county government as it's a small county, not a lot of employees and most information is shared.
Can you clarify your perspective on him not being charged? It sounds like he was charged with both theft and tampering with evidence.Here is the indictment with some specific dates and dollar amounts. He also illegally had the truck put in his dads name..
This is the last I will post on Reader as I feel like I'm the only one on these forums really interested in trying to understand what was going on.
https://assets.documentcloud.org/do...tment-against-Pike-County-Sheriff-Charles.pdf
Below is a story on the 14 envelopes in the accordion file. Where was he keeping them? In his truck, his house, someone else? It seems he is claiming that "in his possession" is the same as in the possession of the sheriff's office. Could be why "The Pike County sheriff's office" is the named enterprise in Count 1.
Documents detail alleged improprieties by Reader - Portsmouth Daily Times
When executing the November search warrant at Reader’s office, investigators stated they looked inside a small safe kept in the sheriff’s office as well as a larger safe maintained outside his office. According to investigators, all the items in the second safe appeared to be accounted for, accompanied by proper evidence sheets. That allegedly is not the case with the small safe in Reader’s office.
On December 14, Reader’s attorney James T. Boulger spoke with Smith, explaining Reader wanted to meet with auditor’s office investigators. According to the prosecutor, Boulger turned over, in Reader’s name, an accordion file containing several evidence envelopes with seized U.S. currency related to drug cases the attorney explained were still open. Boulger told investigators the money properly was in possession of the sheriff’s office. The file allegedly further contained two videos of cash counts of seized currency as well as a thumb drive with a video showing a cash count of drug buy monies from two different accounts.
“Mr. Boulger was asked why the contents of the accordion file were not secured or present in the sheriff’s safe, located under his desk, during the execution of the search warrant,” the prosecutor summary reads. “Mr. Boulger replied he wasn’t in a position to answer that question.”
According to the summary, neither Reader nor his attorney previously advised investigators anything was missing from the safe in the sheriff’s office. The summary claims the accordion file presented by Boulger contained 14 evidence bags containing money. Furthermore, the summary states at least one of the bags, containing just over $6,000 in confiscated cash, appeared to have been opened and resealed. The investigator claimed there is a video of Pike county deputies counting the money in question. Notably, the summary alleges the money in the bag presented by Reader’s attorney “was clearly different,” made up of different denominations and in different condition than the money in the video.
In speaking to investigators, one sheriff’s captain, after looking at the money presented by Boulger, told investigators it was not the same cash confiscated during the case.
According to the summary, the captain kept repeating “He stole the (expletive) money.” From the context, “he” was clearly Reader.