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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 26 aPRil 2021

Kansas agency's lost $72K: 4 years of probing, few answers

(AP) — Sometime after lic because of the open-re-
a January 2017 drug bust cords lawsuit the newspaper
near Interstate 70's main filed days later, wasn't more
exit for President Dwight specific about what Purvis
Eisenhower's boyhood wanted investigated.
Kansas home, $72,000 in
cash seized by the local A KBI agent filed an offense
sheriff's department dis- report in October 2018 say-
appeared. ing $72,020 was missing in
a potential “Theft of prop-
The state has been investigat- erty or services." The report's
ing the Dickinson County front page — the only page
Sheriff's Department for typically released in Kansas
close to four years, with two — does not name suspects.
officials saying in a court fil-
ing this year that a “fear of Graham's letter said the KBI
retribution” among depart- spent about 18 months inves-
ment employees had slowed tigating the missing money
progress. A three-term sher- and more than a year inves-
iff lost last year's Republican tigating allegations involving
primary decisively to a for- Hoffman and his employees.
mer longtime officer who The state found “insufficient
told voters the department evidence” for charges.
was falling apart.
Also involved was Kansas
The mystery has unfolded Attorney General Derek
amid a national debate over reau of Investigation closed answer questions in writing iff's office asked it in late Schmidt's office, which noti-
whether law enforcement an inquiry into the former in late February. They were May 2017 to investigate the fied Purvis in July 2019 that
agencies can too easily seize sheriff in October 2019 and defending the KBI's refusal to $72,000 missing from its it wouldn't file criminal mis-
cash and other assets — often the missing funds were “fully release records five months property room. The sheriff conduct charges in Dickin-
without a criminal convic- investigated,” spokesperson after the Abilene Reflector- has an evidence room in the son County. The letter from
tion. Interstate 70 has long Melissa Underwood said. Chronicle's parent company county courthouse. Assistant Attorney General
been considered a major sued for disclosure. Michael Serra suggested that
drug-running corridor. Yet, Underwood also wrote Dickinson County Commis- a case could not be proven
in a recent email to The As- Thompson and Graham said sion Chairman Lynn Peter- to a jury, though an investi-
Meanwhile, there’s no of- sociated Press, “We have officers wouldn't help the son believes people were sat- gation remained open. He
ficial explanation for what open cases involving Dickin- KBI if they knew their state- isfied then with the sheriff’s questioned local officials' evi-
happened to the cash seized son County Sheriff’s Office ments would become public. leadership and notes that it dence-handling policies.
in Dickinson County. personnel." “One deputy was advised by was the sheriff's office "that
commanding officers that he uncovered the fact that mon- The sheriff's office did have
“I would like to think that we Current Sheriff Jerry Da- would be fired if he spoke ey was missing and started 21 pages of policies — which
could get some closure on vis cited the KBI's inquiries about a theft,” the KBI offi- gathering information.” Davis said he's revising — for
that,” said Brad Homman, in declining to answer most cials said. items in its courthouse prop-
the county administrator. questions. The local prosecu- But in May 2018, nearly a erty room, including one that
tor, Andrea Purvis, didn't re- Any picture of what hap- year after the sheriff's of- said cash or coins worth more
Abilene, the county seat with spond to interview requests pened is clouded by separate fice sought KBI help, Purvis than $100 were to be counted
6,400 people, is about 150 or emailed questions. allegations in early 2017 that asked the state agency to in- by the deputy who seized the
miles west (241 kilometers) a lieutenant improperly bor- vestigate “possible evidence money and a second officer
of Kansas City. Eisenhower’s Former Sheriff Gareth Hoff- rowed $25,760 over 4 1/2 destruction and interference before being sealed in tam-
presidential library gives the man and his undersheriff years, most of it from a prop- with law enforcement” by per-proof packaging.
town a hint of prairie recti- didn't respond to social me- erty room in the basement Hoffman or his employees.
tude, though it had a pre-Ike dia or email messages. Possi- the county attorney's office As for the missing cash,
past as the end of the Ch- ble phone numbers for them building. The officer later Local officials' requests for Homman, the county ad-
isholm Trail for 1860s cattle weren't answered. pleaded guilty to felony theft KBI investigations were ministrator, said it would be
drovers. in a case that has prompted confirmed in a September nice to get it back.
Some details emerged when questions about how Hoff- 2020 letter to the Reflector-
No criminal charges have a lawsuit forced KBI Director man ran the department. Chronicle’s attorney from “It's money that shouldn't
been filed over the missing Kirk Thompson and General Graham, the KBI’s general have been wherever it went.”
$72,000. The Kansas Bu- Counsel Laura Graham to The KBI said that the sher- counsel. The letter, now pub-

At least 6 killed in fiery van crash on Georgia interstate

(AP) — At least six people miles (56 kilometers) north- details about the people in
died and several others east of downtown Atlanta. the van would be announced
were hurt in an interstate in the coming days.
crash in Georgia that left Six people were pronounced
a passenger van engulfed dead at the scene and several Investigators were working
in flames and rolled on its others were taken to Atlanta- to determine the cause of
side, police said. area hospitals for treatment. the crash. Information at the
One bystander suffered a mi- scene led police to believe
Passersby stopped to pull nor injury but declined to be another vehicle may have
people from the burning ve- transported, police said. been involved. Witnesses
hicle Saturday evening along were asked to call the police
I-85 near the I-985 split, It was unclear how many department's accident inves-
Gwinnett County police Sgt. people were inside the van tigation tip line with any in-
Michele Pihera said in a news but police believe all were formation.
release. The area is about 35 adults. The news release said