WALTERS — At the conclusion of a two-hour preliminary hearing in district court here, Cotton County Commissioner Micah Lee “Mike” Woods was ordered to stand trial on a felony charge of embezzlement.
Woods, 62, of Walters, is accused of using county employees during work hours, and in the Cotton County District 1 barn at 1124 W. Colorado Ave. in Walters, “to build campaign signs for his personal use for his re-election” campaign last November.
“There is sufficient evidence to support a finding of probable cause” that Woods committed the crime, Associate District Judge Dennis L. Gay ruled on July 21. He scheduled Woods’ arraignment for Aug. 23.
Woods, a Republican, beat his Democratic opponent by a 2-to-1 margin in the 2022 general election.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Joe Kimmons said in an affidavit that he interviewed all District 1 employees and several of them “admitted they helped Woods build campaign signs on county time during the workday around June 2022” at the District 1 headquarters.
After Woods was read his Miranda rights, he was interviewed “and denied he allowed or asked employees to make campaign signs while they were on county time,” Kimmons wrote in a sworn affidavit.
Woods is free on $10,000 bond, records on the Oklahoma State Courts Network indicate.