Oskaloosa ? Tim James wanted his stepson and a friend to kidnap an elderly Perry man, “rough him up,” then steal money by using the victim’s bank card, a Jefferson County jury was told Wednesday.

James’ stepson, Chris James, who is serving a prison sentence for participating in that plan, identified his stepfather as the man behind the Feb. 6, 1999, incident, and insisted that this time he was telling the truth.

In the months after Chris James’ arrest, he repeatedly denied his stepfather’s involvement.

“I wish I had told the truth from the get-go; maybe we wouldn’t be here now,” Chris James said on the second day of his stepfather’s trial on charges of aiding and abetting aggravated robbery, aiding and abetting aggravated burglary and aiding and abetting aggravated kidnapping.

“Unfortunately we don’t know what the truth is from you,” defense attorney Michael Ireland said during cross-examination.

Wednesday marked the second time, however, that Chris James has testified against his stepfather; the first time came during Tim James’ 2001 trial.

That trial ended in Tim James’ conviction, and he was ordered to serve 21 years in prison. In May, the verdict was overturned on appeal. Jefferson County Atty. Jim Vanderbilt, who failed to challenge the appeal, brought in Hiawatha attorney Tim Keck to act as special prosecutor in Tim James’ retrial.

Chris James, then 18, and cohort Mike Manis, then 19, both of Lawrence, were arrested shortly after the burglary at the Perry mobile home of Judson Smith. The teens ultimately pleaded guilty to different charges and are serving 101-month prison sentences.

During his testimony Wednesday, Chris James said he and Manis first burglarized Smith’s home on Jan. 22, 1999, and decided to go back because they were upset after finding what they thought was child pornography. Prosecutors have said repeatedly Smith, then 70, did not have child pornography.

The plan was to wait in Smith’s garage for him to come home from work, beat him up, put him in the trunk of his car, and drive to Lawrence to empty his bank account by using his ATM card, Chris James said.

Tim James dropped them off about half a mile away from Smith’s home. The plan went awry, however, when they found Smith was already home. Instead, the pair broke into the mobile home, tied up Smith and beat him. They stole Smith’s car and returned to Lawrence.

Tim James helped search and ditch the car in the country, Chris James said.

Manis, who took the stand before Chris James, also identified Tim James as the “mastermind” behind the attack on Smith.

Manis’ statements also have flopped back and forth about Tim James’ involvement, prompting Ireland to describe the star witnesses as “using truth as a commodity.”

Chris James said that fears Tim James’ friends in prison would exact revenge for any damaging testimony kept him quiet initially. He also admitted he earlier had hoped he’d get a reduced sentence in return for implicating Tim James. No promises were made to him and he doesn’t expect that now, he said.

Chris James was the prosecution’s last witness. Ireland said he expected to call Tim James to testify when the trial resumes today.