Carpenter on renovation tells of billing procedure

October 15, 2008

by Jill Burke
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

WASHINGTON -- A restaurateur with secrets to hide and a carpenter caught in the middle are both part of Sen. Ted Stevens' defense strategy.

Augie Paone, a carpenter hired by former VECO CEO Bill Allen who built the wraparound deck and railings among other projects during the renovation of Stevens' Girdwood home, explained in May of 2007 how the billings were handled.

"I would give the invoices to VECO, they'd review it to make sure the billings were correct," Paone said.

Paone told jurors Tuesday that Stevens was always prompt with payments, sending in remittance within weeks, if not days -- five bills totaling $132,000 to be exact.

But then, a hitch.

Paone just couldn't seem to get a sixth bill for $19,000 paid.

The problem? Allen had chosen not to pass it on, and instead handle it himself.

And while jurors will hear how and why that happened, they will also hear from another man used to handling things at the home: Bob Persons.

Persons is a Girdwood restaurant owner and friend of Stevens. He was a go-between between Allen, the senator, and the house that prosecutors say VECO built.

The FBI caught Persons and Allen on tape talking about how to get rid of evidence that Allen had paid labor on a plumbing repair.

Persons is emerging to be a central figure in the case -- the eyes and ears for an absentee landlord, a taskmaster overseeing the work.

And a man now in the spotlight and ready to talk after refusing to answer a lot of questions when called before a grand jury, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination around 20 times during.

But he told the judge overseeing Stevens' case he won't do that again -- at least not now.

When the trial resumes Wednesday, Paone's testimony should continue, followed by Persons.

After that, Catherine Stevens, the senator's wife, is expected to testify and eventually the senator himself.

Contact Jill Burke at jburke@ktuu.com

|

|

|