ASHEVILLE - A former Buncombe County deputy testified that he forged the name of the former sheriff on checks from video poker operators, and the money wasn't always reported to the State Board of Elections.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that former Lt. John Harrison testified Thursday in the trial of former Sheriff Bobby Medford, who is accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to protect illegal gambling operations in Western North Carolina.

Harrison testified that the money typically was collected at Medford's twice-annual golf tournaments, which he said could bring in more than $10,000 each. In election years, he said the money went in Medford's re-election account.

But Harrison said Medford told him not to report the money in nonelection years because he "didn't want to account to the [state] Board of Elections."

Medford didn't want to cash the checks at banks, so Harrison took them to a grocery store or a deli, he said, adding that Medford never signed the checks himself.

In opening arguments Wednesday, Medford's attorney said Medford didn't know about corruption in his office and had little involvement in regulating video poker machines.

Attorney Stephen Lindsay told jurors that Medford informed store owners about new machine regulations in 2000. But he turned regulation duties over to one of his deputies.

Prosecutors said testimony will show Medford took bribes of up to $5,000 at a time from illegal gambling operators.

Two dozen people have pleaded guilty in the government's sweeping investigation into the gambling ring.