The defendants have denied the charges. Federal prosecutors also asked the state Comptroller's Office to conduct an audit of Cherokee, but that reportedly has been limited in scope. Dennis Dycus, director of the comptroller's division of municipal audit, contends that, following objections from Ford, the audit was limited to government revenues that pass through Cherokee to day care centers to subsidize transportation and enrollment fees. Ford has denied that also. Despite that flurry of action, no one has been charged, and federal officials have given no indication where their probe is headed or if it might include recent revelations about rent payments at Cherokee.
Herring operates the South Memphis Child Development Centers.
At the time of the rent hike and real estate acquisitions, Joyner was Cherokee's board chairman. The equalization board agreed to lower the value of the building, constructed in 1995, due to its age. Joyner said through a spokesman, Leon Gray, that his participation in the rent hike was in no way motivated by hopes of obtaining the building on Colony Park. Dr. Joyner bought the property as an investment property because he saw that the particular property had investment potential,'' Gray said. Wade said the Madisons bought the properties at an auction in an apparent cash deal that required several lots to be bought in a block.