OKC restaurant owner agrees to deal in DA party case

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City restaurant owner Wade Starr on Friday agreed to a deferred prosecution to avoid a trial on charges of perjury from his grand jury testimony about a post-election party for District Attorney David Prater, Attorney General Scott Pruitt said.

Starr, 42, part owner of Deep Fork Grill and Café Nova, was indicted in June by the Attorney General’s Multicounty Grand Jury on three counts of perjury after admitting he had falsified a sworn affidavit that claimed a supporter of Prater’s, Lewis B. Moon, had paid for the $10,000 victory party following Prater’s election in 2006. The cost of the event would be a violation of state campaign finance laws if paid for by a single donor. The grand jury found that the event was not financed by Moon, but instead provided by a group of attorneys, and was not a violation.

As part of Starr’s agreement, he agreed to pay $2,500 in restitution to a victims’ compensation fund, perform 100 hours of community service and to not violate any laws during the two-year term of probation.

The Oklahoma Multicounty Grand Jury investigates criminal matters in all 77 counties, assisting local law enforcement as well as handling matters of state interest.

The 14th multicounty grand jury was seated in January and will meet for its first session on Feb. 25.