Sheriff: Here's how drug money was spent
Courtesy photo Sheriff Ben Wolfinger presents a check for $23,000 to Safe Passage on Aug. 8, 2017. The funds, from the county’s drug asset forfeiture account, were used to help pay for the Children’s Advocacy Center’s operating costs. From left: Michelle Manteuffel, family advocate at the CAC; Tamarah Cardwell, CAC director; Wolfinger; and Chauntelle Lieske, Safe Passage executive director.
Last week, two local media outlets elected to run a news article on the termination of former KCSO Captain Dan Soumas. The news reports appear to be exclusively based on papers filed in a civil lawsuit that was filed a year ago by Mr. Soumas. In that lawsuit, Mr. Soumas states he was terminated as a result of “trumped up charges” related to an alleged whistle blower complaint.
On the advice of legal counsel, the Sheriff’s Office does not comment on pending litigation and personnel matters cannot be discussed without a written waiver from the former employee. Without commenting on the elements of the litigation, however, the following details are offered to a community who puts its trust in their Sheriff:
- All dollars donated from the Sheriff’s Office Drug Forfeiture Account to the Child Advocacy Center were donated, legally, after having been vetted through the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ). This is a matter of record.
- It is critical to note that the Child Advocacy Center is an arm of Safe Passage, a Coeur d’Alene based Domestic Violence Advocacy Center. The function of the Child Advocacy Center is to assist children who are victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and related crimes against children.
- The dollars donated to the Child Advocacy Center from the Sheriff’s Drug Forfeiture Account were intended to combat domestic violence, sexual abuse, and like crimes, and were donated as a public service to the community. There was no intrinsic gain to the Sheriff’s Office other than using dollars seized from drug dealers to help investigate and prevent child abuse.
The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to the safety of our community and will continue to utilize legally forfeited dollars to combat, investigate, and prosecute all manner of crime in Kootenai County.