Pubdate: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2002 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Erica Beshears, Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States) CHIEF SAYS MONEY BELONGED TO NO ONE No Charges Filed Yet In Case Of Cash Missing From Evidence Room MOORESVILLE - The $22,000 missing from the police department evidence room is mostly money police seized in drug or gambling cases, Chief John Crone said Friday. No crime victims claimed the money, it wasn't needed in court and no one audited the evidence room, he said. That's why police did not notice the thousands of missing dollars until last month, when two officers preparing for a case couldn't find $4. Crone called in the State Bureau of Investigation, which continues to investigate. He confronted Debbie Compton, the only employee other than the chief with a key to the room, and suspended her without pay. The total of the missing money swelled to $22,436.28. No charges have been filed. Compton could not be reached for comment Friday. Crone declined to say how many cases were involved. They date to 1999, but he said the date the case began doesn't reveal when the money was taken. In most cases where money is missing, Crone said, the case has gone through the court system. Crime victims can collect evidence that was stolen from them after trial, but in cases involving drug or gambling seizures, there were no victims to ask for the money. Eventually, it would have been donated to the school system, he said. Compton, a police employee since 1993, served as records supervisor, Crone said. Like the records supervisor before her, she became the evidence custodian, in early 2000, he said. Her job was to take possession of evidence and keep a record of each time someone asked for it. Crone said it was not unusual for a civilian employee to perform the record-keeping task, though he said larger departments often assign sworn officers to the evidence room. Crone is now the only person in the police department with access to the evidence room, he said. "There's not going to be anything else missing." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D