New details in Dyer case
It's been a while since I've blogged, but that's mainly because I've been working on this story about a former Industry sheriff's sergeant that allegedly pocketed $500,000 in tow fees meant for the city of La Puente. His name is Joe Dyer.
We should have a follow-up story running in Tuesday's paper. But until then, here are some new tidbits I've gathered:
*Officials say they're reviewing options to recoup the nearly $500,000. La Puente City Attorney James Casso said he expected to discuss the matter with the City Council at its Oct. 28 meeting, but he would not say if the possibility of a lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department or Los Angeles County was on the table.
*Roxanne Marquez, spokeswoman for county Supervisor Gloria Molina, said Molina's office was informed of the investigation on Thursday night. She would not comment on plans to reimburse La Puente.
*This is not the first case alleging a sheriff's department employee took money meant for tow fees.
In February, the OIR reviewed a case in which "a subject allegedly removed money that the station had collected for traffic impound fees, and failed to follow protocols for collection and documentation of these funds," according to a report released by the OIR detailing dozens of administrative cases reviewed by the agency for the first quarter of this year.
A criminal case in connection with the incident was rejected in 2007.
OIR officials said the case is separate from the Dyer case, involving a different person and a different station. She did not have any further details.
*If convicted, Dyer would not lose any of his retirement benefits, according to Janice Golden, assistant executive officer with the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association. LACERA is the retirement agency that serves the sheriff's department.
We're also working on some other ledes....more to come when we know it.
Will all the member cities of the CA Contract Cities Association have to divide the cost of this investigation? Since the deputy was on duty at the time of his crime spree, who will get to flip the bill in attorney expenses and other related costs to this case? I would like to know. Can you, the Tribune please check this out.
If convited Dyer would not lose his retirement benefits?
Say what? You have got to be kidding me. If a crime has been committed, the suspect is convicted by the jury of his peers, he/she should pay restitution, if any.
Why is it that government pensioners are protected?
Gives proof that government run pension plans such as LACERA and CalPERS should be shut down! Then, let the employees choose where to put their retirement money.
"government run pension plans such as LACERA and CalPERS should be shut down"...boy that would be great, but I suspect it isn't going to happen anytime soon. It is nice that the average taxpayer is starting to learn more about the sweetheart retirement deals these programs are dishing out with our tax dollars.