Testimony in Wild West World’s owner Tom Etheredge’s Trail is heard

Investors in Thomas Etheredge’s trail testified against and for him in regard to the Wild West World park construction in Park City between 2006 and 2007. Mr. Etheredge was charged with deceiving investors who lent money to him to construct Wild West World.

A.J Morris and Glenda Sue Morris testified in favor of Mr. Etheredge at his trail. Mr. Morris and Mrs. Morris were originally listed on court documents as victims in the ten count indictment against Mr. Etheredge. Mr. Morris sent a letter to Judge Ben Burgess in May of 2009 requesting that he and his wife be dropped the complaint. Mr. Morris testified at Mr. Etheredge’s trail.

Mr. Morris introduced Mr. David Brown and investor friend to Mr. Etheredge. Mr. Etheredge sometime later received a loan in the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars in March of 2007 for the Wild West World Theme Park project. Mr. Brown is also listed as a victim in the indictment against Mr. Etheredge.

Mr. Brown in his testimony stated that he was unaware of Mr. Etheredge’s criminal background and had not read Mr. Etheredge’s book “Real Men, Real Faith” that detailed Mr. Etheredge’s previous crimes. Mr. Morris however in his testimony stated the he knew that Mr. Brown was aware of Mr. Etheredge’s criminal background because he saw Mr. Brown read the book at his home prior to Mr. Brown giving Mr. Etheredge the loan for seventy-five thousand dollars.

Michael Crabtree also testified for Mr. Etheredge and stated that he had known Mr. Etheredge for over twenty years. Mr. Crabtree was working with prison ministries when he first met Mr. Etheredge. The meeting took place at Winfield Correctional Facility were Mr. Etheredge was a prisoner at the time for securities fraud in Kansas back in 1987.

The jury previously had heard testimony from the Small Business Administration’s current and former officials. The Small Business Administration’s officials testified that Mr. Etheredge had been approved for a small business administration backed loan in 1983 in the amount of one hundred fifty thousand dollars for his existing business at the time called Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper. The Small Business Administration also granted Mr. Etheredge a loan for one million eight hundred thousand dollars in 2006 for the Wild West World Theme Park.

Greg Berry, Former Vice President of First National Bank of Southern Kansas located in Mount Hope testified that Mr. Etheredge had applied for and received loans after information regarding his criminal past surfaced in 2005. Mr. Berry acknowledged that he had signed and arraigned loan agreements which included five other banks. Mr. Berry currently the Community President of Intrust Bank in Manhattan, also testified that he originally heard of Mr. Etheredges criminal past through an email he received from Mr. Etheredge himself in September 7th of 2005. Mr. Etheredge had held a news conference the following day in which he informed the world about his past. Mr. Berry stated that he had attended the new conference in addition to receiving a letter from Mr. Etheredge which contained more information about his past criminal activity on September 8th of 2005. Mr. Berry stated in his testimony that he wrote a letter of proposal in regard to the Johnny Western Theatre at the Wild West Theme Park in which the bank would lend Mr. Etheredge one million dollars to the project. The loan was later approved through First National Bank of Southern Kansas were Mr. Berry was Vice President at the time. The loan was approved via a conglomerate of other banks which provided financing in the amount of five million dollars. Conway Bank joined this group of bank in 2007 and lent an additional one million dollars to Mr. Etheredge in 2007.