The U.S. Department of Justice has told the Town of Mooresville and its police department to repay $4,862 in asset forfeiture funds that former Police Chief John Crone used to pay airfare costs for a Mayor’s Youth Council trip to New York City.
Also, the town received the results of its outside forensic audits into Crone's Cops for Kids program today - more than six months after commissioners ordered the probes. The audit results will not be released until the State Bureau of Investigation has reviewed them and determined that their release will not compromise the state's ongoing criminal investigation.
In an e-mail to commissioners today, Town Manager Steve Husemann said that the town recently received a letter from the Department of Justice, "asking the town and MPD ... to reimburse (the local asset forfeiture) account and provide (the Deparment of Justice) with confirmation of said repayment.
"This really does not have a financial impact on the town," Husemann said. "Drug Forfeiture funds can be used only for certain purposes, and we will pick a clearly eligible purpose to fund with this money."
Husemann also said that the town has requested that Crone write a check for the entire amount from the Cops for Kids bank account.
For the complete story on Crone's use of the federal money, click here: http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/09/former-police-chief-violated-federal.html
Husemann, in today's e-mail, said that town staff "had been waiting to announce the Department of Justice request with the results of the accounting study." However, he said, "we just received the accounting study today."
Husemann said he decided to release the information about the federal request when the Mooresville Tribune asked for an update on the Cops for Kids situation. "I don't want to withhold any information," said Husemann, adding, however, that "we do not plan to release the accounting study until the SBI determines that it has no relevance to their investigation and until (Town Attorney) Steve Gambill determines that any personnel information is redacted."
Continued Husemann: "We have no desire to hold up the release any longer than we have to. I have not yet seen the accounting report and have made this decision without knowing the content."
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Astonishing--am I reading this right? Is Husemann saying that Crone still has the Cops for Kids checkbook? My God !!!
Crone is the only one with access to that account. Astonishing is right.
So Crone repays the money from the Cops for Kids account? Was that money leagally obtained? And why is it still in his name? None of this makes any sense. Once again, Crone will get away with what he has done and I would not be surprised if the Town of Mooresville reinstates him as Chief. With back pay.
And we don't get the results of the audit until the SBI reviews it??? This will never end!
Holy Crap, Husseman and the town have lost their mind. Why would they want Crone to be anywhere near a check book for Cops For Kids. He is a fired employee of the town of Mooresville, a disgraced Cheif and crook.
I only hope that was a misprint, if not, MPD still has big problems and bigger problems yet to come. The Gatton report has finally back on a cause that people are interested in again. Can The Report find out anymore about Crone's appeal to the town?
If his appeal is granted and he is reinstated, look out, damn run for the hills....
Erskine Smith was present in a supervisory position over Crone when this money was abused. He was in fact in charge of the Mayor's Youth group. He is ultimately responsible for this situation. If Huseman wishes to earn the confidence of the people of this community, he must hold Erskine Smith responsible for his negligence and incompetence which have brought us to this point.
Mr. Husseman may not have been here this summer when the CFK scandal broke, but Mr. Smith was. He was the person to whom the former police chief reported. It is my understanding that Mr. Smith confiscated all CFK records after there was great public outcry, but he failed to confiscate the checkbook? If indeed that is the case, it is grounds for immediate dismissal of Mr. Smith from the employment of the town of Mooresville, considering all the circumstances.
Let me get this straight. Town's gonna go to a corrupt former police chief that it FIRED, who is UNDER MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS, and ask HIM to write a check out of his BOGUS CHARITY to pay for a bill that the Feds sent THEM for trips THEY and their friends family and little darlings took. Am I missing anything?
Yep, I'm feeling real warm and fuzzy about the new and improved standard of ethics and conduct in our Town Hall.
Wrong is wrong. What was wrong in July of last year is still wrong today. It was wrong for a police chief to set up a non-profit organization that was sold to the community as a means of assisting needy children and the elderly, when in fact he intended and succeeded in using those charity dollars for fancy trips for himself and his cohorts. Again, what he did was wrong in July, and it is wrong today. It is disturbing, to say the least, that the town manager is overlooking this simple and self-evident fact for reasons unknown. Even more disturbing is the possibility that neither the town attorney nor the elected official may step in and enlighten him, despite the fact that they are in possession of all the information and well aware of the ramifications of any request for John Crone to write any checks off of the Cops For Kids account.
What in the world are these people thinking?!!! Geez Louise, talk about a no-brainer. "Asking a crooked chief of police to use donation money to pay for vacations" equals "Bad". "Taking the checkbook away and making sure any leftover money goes to the poor and hungry" equals "Good". It's not that hard to figure out. Lordy, my second grader knows this much. Can't we pleeeeease start hiring people who know this kind of obvious right vs. wrong stuff, too. Not asking for much here folks.
Crone is a crook, Smith is a crook, the ToM still allows him to work and be a crook, so the ToM is a crook too.
Please someone with half a brain step up to the plate and stop the madness.
Just some questions to ponder here.
Han't it been reported that Crone opened the Cops for Kids checking account under his own name and personal social security number?
If this is the case, then this is why the Town of Mooresville's town manager has to ASK Crone to write a check to reimburse the town for the funds used inappropriately. The bank wouldn't be able to release funds from Crone's personal checking account.
Also wouldn't it be completely inapproproiate for the town to accept a check from the Cops for Kids bank account to reimburse the federal money that was spent on airplane tickets for the Mayor's Youth Council. It seems as though people have forgotten the reason that the press started looking into this situation in the first place was because money given to a charity for needy children was instead being spent on trips for children who are not underprivilleged.
Now help me on this next thought with Mr. Husemann asking Crone to reimburse costs for airplane tickets out of the Cops for Kids account, Wouldn't it appears Mr. Husemann is basically suggesting that Crone was justified in using charity dollars for the trips.
WRONG IS WRONG PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Husemann, along with all of us, need to remember the reason that Cops for Kids seemed like such a foul deal from the start. John Crone used money for underprivileged children to take himself, and groups of more privileged children on expensive trips. Mr. Husemann would be none the better than Crone if he accepts money from Cops for Kids to reimburse the money for any plane tickets for any of these trips.
The Cops for Kids money should only be used
for under privileged children.
Mr. Husemann should be asking his employees, Erskine Smith & Mia Setzer why the Cops For Kids checking account is under Crones name.
This is so fundamentally wrong. Thank God the Tribune called for an update. This would have gone right under the rug with everything else they do. The fact that Husemann either can't see how wrong this is and is doing it anyway, or worse, knows how obviously wrong it is and is doing it is quite disturbing. And where is the Mayor and the town board? Once again wallowing in silence.
Date: 7/12/2008
Topic: Citizens for the Responsible Treatment of Others
Authors: Charles Moore, Woodrow Washam, Mike Cooke, Tommy Bowles, Aubrey Calhoun, Don Carney, John Melvins, Mike Levine, Robert Pless, Alice Lee, Charles Taylor, Bob Wilson, Pless, Larry Harrelson, Jeff Shoe, Mike McDonald, Dan Brewer
Statement: "We're confident Crone will be absolved of any allegations of impropriety."
Result: Wrong -- Feds show improper use of fedearl funds.
Statement: "When this account was established the year before Crone was recruited, the board's decision to not oversee it, nor appoint a committee, made it, be default, a discretionary fund."
Result: Wrong, again. Maybe if he had not used the Town's website and name to solicit donations this could be considered a discretionary fund; however, his website was quite clear as to the nature and purposes of this fund. No discretion other than which underprivileged citizen to assist -- not which youth and adults to send on vacation.
Statement: "The lack of attention to recordkeeping is unfortunate but certainly not deliberate nor criminal."
Result: Wrong, again. The lack of attention certainly appears to be quite intentional, as was the pattern of misportraying the purposes of Cops for Kids. It is the latter, I believe, which will eventually wind up as a matter decided in a court of law.
I can't wait to read the entire report to see exactly what was found. The sad thing is that a couple in Troutman did something similar -- obtaining money under false pretenses -- and were arrested immediately. And the guy in New York who was recently arrested for the Panzi Scheme -- arrested and jailed. Yet we somehow can't get our law enforcement folks to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Thanks for staying on top of this for us Jamie!
!!! Maybe we ought to march on the Water Meeting down in Davidson and shake them up a bit. When do they meet again?
Erskine Smith is a scourge, and as long as he sits in Town Hall, we can forget about any level of integrity. You better believe he is "assisting" the new town manager with his usual sage advice, such as "oh, yeah, Boss, I would definitely go ask Chief Crone to write a check off of the CFK account, if I were you" (all the time saying "Sucka!" under his breath). Smith is the gift that keeps on giving. And Huseman is clearly listening to him. In about a year, we'll all be singing "Another One Bites The Dust" when Huseman goes down in flames, gets his walking papers, with Erskine Smith giving him a nice little beauty pageant wave on his way to pick up his own reliable paycheck.
Strike One for the new town manager
3:42 pm, I could not have said it any better myself.
Green, Gatton, Fariba Homesley for town council in the next election!!!!! These three aren't afraid to stand up for truth and to do what's right for the town.
How do we get them to run?
Looks like we got us another prize for the town manager position - a bureaucrat with a warped moral compass. Nice going.
Word's out there's some scrambling in Town Hall as to how to get out of this self created mess. What dumb asses. This is what happens when you open your mouth before you think. I'd been holding out hope that this time they actually found a town manager with some sense. Doesn't look so good so far.
Someone who is much brighter than I can probably answer this. If the accounting report was ordered and paid for by ToM, then how does the SBI have the ability to dictate when it is or isn't released? It belongs to the town, and therefore to the citizens, not to the SBI.
The thinking is that the report may taint the SBI's investigation and therefore they are seeking to insure that there is nothing in the report that the SBI does not want released while the investigation is on-going. The SBI cannot prevent the release.
This is another stalling tactic. Stall and drag all you want. The clock keeps ticking, and time is NOT on the side of those who have wanted this to go away all along. Some of us have very long memories, and we will make sure the chickens come home to roost.
Been thinking on this. Stall tactic or not, the longer it goes on the more stress it would have to put on anyone with dirty hands. Usually things that are going to go away, go away. Incidents with repurcussions usually drag on. One could only assume that the investigation has extended past Crone and on to other people.
Here is a link to Statesville R&L about the Nitzu lawsuit against Crone for those who are interested. Cut & paste in browswer:
http://www2.statesville.com/content/2009/jan/28/nitzu-lawsuit-agenda-boards-friday-closed-session/
TimeTraveler
Just saw that article. I'm thinking the town can ask Crone to pay for the settlement out of the CFK account!!!
Yeah, why not? The town can ask Crone to pay for EVERYTHING out of that account. For that matter, why not take a few more little trips and charge it to that account? Anything goes, as long as it's out of the kids' and old folks charity fund. Yeah, boy!
The good Reverend Green should stick to bible thumping.
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