Jury deliberation continue in Koch trial

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A federal jury returned to deliberate this morning for the third day in the civil trial against Koch Industries. The country's second-largest privately held company is accused

Thursday, December 16th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A federal jury returned to deliberate this morning for the third day in the civil trial against Koch Industries. The country's second-largest privately held company is accused in a civil lawsuit of underreporting the amount and quality of oil it purchased from federal and Indian leases from 1985 through 1989.

A federal jury of four men and four women was handed the case Tuesday morning. U.S. Chief District Judge Terry Kern has let them recess deliberations at 5 p.m. each day. Bill Koch, who filed the whistleblower lawsuit, is asking for$445,000 to be compensated to the government for 31,000 federal claims Koch allegedly falsified by adjusting measurements in the company's favor. If the jury agrees, then Kern could order the Wichita, Kan., company to pay an additional $285 million in penalties.