UPDATE: June 7, 2021, 10 a.m. — Stone County Sheriff Lance Bonds released a statement Monday morning to the “Citizens of Stone County” regarding last week’s report from state auditors about the misuse of funds within the Stone County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s statement is posted below in full:
In February of 2020, I began suspecting my chief deputy Zach Alexander, being involved in suspicious activities including internal theft. After suspecting this activity, I contacted my investigator and within 24 hours realized that my suspicions were correct. I immediately contacted the County Judge, Stacey Avey, and the Prosecuting Attorney, Eric Hance. I then submitted a letter to Prosecutor Hance requesting that the Arkansas State Police look into these allegations. On March 2, 2020, Prosecutor Hance sent a letter to the Arkansas State Police requesting the investigation. I terminated Zach Alexander at the end of March, 2020. I immediately requested an audit. At the end of March and the first part of April, the Legislative Auditor began looking into these allegations. Due to Covid restrictions, the case was prolonged. This case was turned over to the Arkansas State Police for further investigation. I cannot comment on the status of the case due to the fact it is a state police investigation. However, I will not tolerate any corruption or theft within my department or anywhere else.
Respectfully, Lance Bonds
Stone County Sheriff
Original story:
State auditors have reported they have turned up almost $71,000 in what it terms misused taxpayer money in the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, according to a report from Little Rock television station KATV.
KATV said the audit revealed almost $10,000 was spent on unaccounted for guns and ammunition as well as on an Apple watch, personal clothing, and hunting gear. Another $5,800 was spent on items such as a 55-inch TV, expensive sunglasses (Oakleys), body armor, a cooler, an iPhone, and hunting gear, according to KATV’s report.
The station said over $12,000 was spent on items without documented business purposes or proper authorization by the Sheriff including tiki torches, an Apple watch, a laptop computer, and an iPad.
State Senator Missy Irvin (R-Mountain View) attended the legislative audit committee meeting last week and said she was shocked to hear that thousands of dollars went to an inmate. She said she anticipates there are some intense investigations that are going on surrounding the bond payment of $5,000 — not a refund but just a payment to an inmate. That, she said, was shocking.
The senator also pointed to the $5,700 in drug buy funds withdrawn from the sheriff’s department’s investigative funds.
“The money that was taken out in cash for investigative purposes on the drug buy program – where’s that accounted for? And then all of the money spent on the personal items but what I think what’s more alarming is how those guns were purchased with those taxpayer dollars and not accounted for and where did they go?” Irvin questioned.
Sheriff Lance Bonds said he had his chief deputy handling purchasing and the budget, and he (Bonds) apparently was not watching and checking as he should have. He noted that, at the time, one of his top deputies had been shot and killed, and his mind was not on the budget, but on the concerns of that loss for the deputy’s family, his department members, and the community.
Bonds said, “I just trusted my chief deputy too much.”
When he became aware of the questioned spending, Bonds said he immediately contacted the Arkansas State Police for a complete investigation. Bonds also told the committee on Friday that the now-former deputy wrote the office a $25,000 check as part of reimbursement. The sheriff said the state police investigators told him not to cash the check during their ongoing investigation.
To read the KATV report in full, click here.
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