LANCASTER, Ohio — A former major with the Fairfield County sheriff's office testified Wednesday that his boss threatened to “bury him” if he didn't help cover up illegal expenditures.

        Marc Grimm said ex-sheriff Gary DeMastry asked him to help cover up the fact that thousands of dollars were missing from a discretionary fund set up for paying informers and for other undercover work.

        Mr. DeMastry, 46, and his wife, Penny, 44, the office's former bookkeeper, are accused of spending more than $340,000 of public money on personal travel, dining and entertainment, then lying to investigators.

        They say they are innocent of any wrongdoing.

        Gary DeMastry's attorney, Max Kravitz, has said it was legal to use the money on expenses such as meals and travel.

        Mr. Grimm testified that starting in 1994, Mr. DeMastry would write him checks from the account and ask him to cash them and bring him the money.

        Cliff Evans of the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification testified Wednesday that Mr. Grimm's records show he paid $6,425 to informants between 1994 and 1996 — even though Mr. Grimm didn't work in the narcotics bureau or have any informants.

        Mr. Grimm testified that after an audit began in 1997, Mr. DeMastry became angry when Mr. Grimm refused to create false records.

        “He said, "If you don't do this, I'm going to bury you,'” Mr. Grimm said. “I took that serious because he was really angry.”

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