A central Iowa sheriff has been charged with stealing part of the money from a drug bust.
Dallas County Sheriff Brian Gilbert this (Friday) morning was charged with first-degree theft. On March 15th, Dallas County deputies seized more than three-quarters of a million dollars found hidden in a car they’d stopped along Interstate-80. A bit later authorities discovered about $120,000 from that bust was missing. Fifteen days later Gilbert’s home was searched but it wasn’t until today (Friday) that he was charged.
James Saunders, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, says Gilbert was taken into custody at about 9:30 this morning by agents from the IowaDivision of Criminal Investigation. Gilbert was booked at the Polk County Jail. He posted a $13,000 bond and was released.
The sheriff’s attorney says Sheriff Gilbert has no plans to step down as Dallas County’s chief law enforcer. If convicted, Gilbert faces up to 10 years in jail. One of Gilbert’s deputies says the money disappeared while it was in the sheriff’s possession. Gilbert voluntarily went on vacation during the first few weeks of the investigation, but returned to the job in May.