</s>-10- Braden has an extensive criminal record dating back to May 15, 1934 when he was convicted for burglary in Kansas. His last arrest was for shoplifting in Los Angeles on February 9, 1964. In 1951, Braden and Victor Pereira joined together to commit fraud. The victim in this case was Pereira's ex- wife. Braden & Pereira were convicted of interstate fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 12 years in a federal peniten- tiary. Bradens was in prison from March 1954 until February 1959 at which time he was released on parole in Los Angeles, California. After leaving prison, he began working for the Morgan Brown Oil Corporation at 9251. Wilshire Boulevard as a clerk and oil consultant. Pereira, who was also on federal parole had an office in the same building where Braden worked. Braden worked for the Morggan Brown Corporation for several years. He frequently traveled with Mr. Morgan Brown as his consultant on trips to Louisiana and Texas. Morgan Brow knew of Braden's past prison record. On October 10, 1960, Bradens, twice divorced, married a fifty- five year old widow, Mildred A. Bollman, an heiress to the Swift Meat Company estate. In 1962, Bradenz and his wife Mildred, formed the Matador Oil Corporation in Matagorda County, Texas and Opelousas, Louisiana. In 1962. Bradenz showed his parole officer an oil dividend 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
Eugene Hale Brading (also known as Jim Braden) has a documented criminal history dating back to 1934, including burglary convictions. His last arrest was for shoplifting in Los Angeles on February 9, 1964. In 1951, he and Victor Pereira were convicted of interstate fraud and conspiracy, receiving 12-year federal prison sentences. Braden served his sentence from March 1954 to February 1959, after which he was released on parole in Los Angeles. Post-release, he worked for Morgan Brown Oil Corporation in Los Angeles, frequently traveling with Morgan Brown to Louisiana and Texas. In 1960, Braden married Mildred Bollman, an heiress to the Swift Meat Company estate. By 1962, he and Pereira formed Matador Oil Corporation in Texas and Louisiana, and Braden reported receiving oil dividends from this venture. He also faced threats from Arthur Clark Jr., who accused him of owing money for a cattle venture. Braden’s parole records indicate frequent trips to Texas, Louisiana, and Florida between 1962–1963, including visits to Dallas and Houston in November 1963. On November 20, 1963, he left Los Angeles for Dallas, where he stayed until November 21, then proceeded to Houston. He was interrogated by the Dallas Sheriff’s Department on November 22, 1963, following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination but did not report this to his parole officers. Braden used multiple aliases, including Gene Hole Brading, Gene Brady, and James Bradley Lee, and changed his name to Jim Braden in 1962. Financial records show significant transactions, including a $19 million dividend claim and bank accounts linked to oil ventures. His business dealings involved entities like the Empire Oil Corporation (Nevada) and connections to figures such as Gerald Chase and Mona Chapman.  

Key People  
- **Eugene Hale Brading** (also known as Jim Braden): Central figure with a criminal history, business ventures, and alleged ties to organized crime.  
- **Victor Pereira**: Partner in fraud convictions and oil ventures; also on federal parole.  
- **Arthur Clark Jr.**: Accused Braden of owing money for a cattle venture; associated with the Old Detroit Purple Gang.  
- **Mildred Bollman**: Braden’s wife (1960–1963), an heiress to the Swift Meat Company estate.  
- **Gerald Chase**: Accountant linked to Empire Oil Corporation and Mona Chapman.  
- **Mona Chapman**: Secretary at Chase Bierman & Dunn accountants; later fired after being listed as an officer of Empire Oil.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Braden’s parole release location; where he worked for Morgan Brown Oil Corporation.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Braden visited in November 1963, interrogated by the Dallas Sheriff’s Department post-Kennedy assassination.  
- **Houston, Texas**: Braden traveled to from Dallas in late November 1963.  
- **Beverly Hills, California**: Home address listed with La Costa Country Club; associated with financial and business activities.  

Key Events  
- **1951–1959**: Convictions for mail fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property; Braden’s federal prison sentence.  
- **1960**: Marriage to Mildred Bollman; formation of Matador Oil Corporation with Victor Pereira.  
- **November 1963**: Braden’s trip to Dallas, where he was interrogated by the Dallas Sheriff’s Department following JFK’s assassination but did not report this to his parole officers.  
- **1962–1963**: Financial transactions involving oil dividends and bank accounts; use of aliases and name changes.  
- **1969**: Braden sought clarification on an investigation related to Victor Pereira, denying knowledge of certain individuals but admitting ties to Gerald Chase.  

Key Organizations  
- **Morgan Brown Oil Corporation**: Employed Braden post-release from prison; based in Los Angeles.  
- **Matador Oil Corporation**: Formed by Braden and Victor Pereira in Texas and Louisiana (1962).  
- **Empire Oil and Royalty Corporation**: Chartered in Louisiana (1966) by Jim Braden, with shareholders including Jean Braden, Mona Chapman, Martha Herndon, and Jean Cox.  
- **Chase Bierman & Dunn Accountants**: Linked to Mona Chapman and financial records of Braden’s ventures.

RFK Declassified Files

62-hq-587_sec_045_ser_1221-1250-part_2_of_6.pdf

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