IOWA AUDITOR ROB SAND HAS RELEASED A REPORT ON A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION OF THE WOODBURY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FROM JULY 1ST OF 2017 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST OF 2020.
SAND SAYS THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE REQUESTED THE REVIEW BECAUSE OF ALLEGED IMPROPRIETIES REGARDING THE TRADE IN OF SHERIFF’S VEHICLES.
LAWCARS1 OC….ANYTHING LIKE THAT. :30
SPECIFICALLY, THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE RECEIVED $163,746 TRADE-IN VALUE FOR 36 VEHICLES TRADED IN THAT TIME PERIOD WHICH WERE SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD BY THE DEALERS WHERE THEY WERE TRADED IN FOR JUST OVER $164,133.
LAWCARS2 OC………….LOW PRICES. :13
A COUNTY SUPERVISOR QUESTIONED WHEN A MEMBER OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE PURCHASED ONE OF FOUR VEHICLES THAT WERE TRADED IN TO A USED CAR DEALER.
THE BOARD MEMBER WAS CONCERNED THE TRADE-IN VALUE RECEIVED FOR THE FOUR VEHICLES WAS LOWER THAN APPROPRIATE AND THAT DEPUTIES MIGHT BE BENEFITING FROM THE DISPOSAL OF THE VEHICLES.
SAND SAYS THAT SALE TOOK PLACE 70 DAYS AFTER THE SECOND DEALERSHIP TOOK TITLE TO THE VEHICLE AND BASED ON THE TIMING, THE SALE TO THE EMPLOYEE DID NOT PROVIDE A BENEFIT TO HIM.
DAVE DREW, WHO WAS SHERIFF AT THE TIME, SAYS THE AUDITOR’S REPORT SHOWS NO WRONG DOING BY ANY OF HIS STAFF:
LAWCARS3 OC………BAD POLITICS. :30
DREW SAYS IT WAS UNFAIR TO NEWLY ELECTED SHERIFF CHAD SHEEHAN TO BE HIT WITH THIS ISSUE AT THE START OF HIS TERM AND ALSO UNFAIR TO COUNTY TAXPAYERS, WHO WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR SAND’S INVESTIGATION:
LAWCARS4 OC……….NOTHING GOING ON,. :25
SAND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WILL BE A BILL SENT TO WOODBURY COUNTY FOR THE INVESTIGATION.
HE SAID THAT AMOUNT HAS NOT BEEN TABULATED AT THIS TIME, SO HE COULD NOT GIVE SPECIFICS OF THE COST YET.
