Former corporate official accused of embezzlement

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- The former corporate president of Oklahoma Joe's, a company that built smokers for cooking, is accused of spending thousands of dollars of company money to pay his nannies,

Thursday, January 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- The former corporate president of Oklahoma Joe's, a company that built smokers for cooking, is accused of spending thousands of dollars of company money to pay his nannies, remodel his home and buy items for his personal use. Payne County prosecutors charged Joe Don Davidson, 38, of Spring Branch, Texas, on Wednesday with 22 counts of embezzlement by corporate officer and two counts of second-degree forgery.

Davidson began creating the cookers at his home in Perry in 1985. The company moved to an industrial park in Stillwater in the mid-1990s and was sold to New Braunfel's, a Texas-based company, in 1998.

Court records allege the charges date to May 1, 1996, when Davidson allegedly put the names of two nannies for his children on the company payroll and again in November 1996. The state alleges neither was a company employee. The two were allegedly paid more than $3,800.

He is accused of using company funds on two occasions in 1996 to pay Accent Homes a total of $16,500 for work on his personal residence. He also allegedly paid $6,029 for a sport utility vehicle.

Davidson is also accused of selling smokers and keeping the money for himself. Prosecutors say that Davidson sold 20 Oklahoma Joe's smokers to Head Country Barbecue in February 1997 and again in July 1997 for cash and then converted the proceeds of the sale to his benefit. He also allegedly spent company funds for a playhouse worth $1,365.