UPDATE @ 6:02 p.m. (Jan. 8): A clerk in the Miami County Sheriff's Office and longtime department employee is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a special investigation.
Chief Deputy Dave Duchak, who is the acting sheriff, said Thursday he was approached a few weeks ago with allegations involving an employee.
“The nature of the allegations is very basic and it should be completed in short order I would hope,” Duchak said of the investigation.
Rene Ingle, a department employee since 1990, was placed on leave from her job as a records clerk on Dec. 29. She was notified of the leave by letter, signed by Sheriff Charles Cox, which indicated she would be on leave pending the results of “an investigation.”
Ingle declined comment Thursday.
Sheriff’s office administrators in early December asked county Prosecutor Tony Kendell to look into allegations regarding a clerk, Duchak said.
FIRST REPORT (Jan. 7)
Miami County Prosecutor Tony Kendell said Wednesday, Jan. 7, he has obtained a special prosecutor from Champaign County to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in the county sheriff’s office.
Kendell said he chose to recuse himself from an investigation because of the potential for conflict of interest.
Kendell said the investigation was requested by Sheriff Charles Cox and Chief Deputy Dave Duchak following allegations of wrongdoing in the office.
“This all originated with a sheriff’s office employee,” Kendell said.
The special prosecutor, Kevin Talebi, is Champaign County’s prosecutor. He has accepted the appointment, but official paperwork has not been filed, Kendell said.
He would not comment on specifics of alleged wrongdoing.
