Douglas County sheriff accused of theft

ARMOUR — Douglas County Sheriff Troy Strid has been charged with stealing public property.

Strid, 43, was served with a warrant Monday charging him with second-degree petty theft. He allegedly embezzled property from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and gave it to a fellow law officer to sell on eBay.

A criminal complaint alleges that the stolen property was a controller for a light bar that had been attached to a law enforcement vehicle. Court documents say a state Division of Criminal Investigation agent bought the controller on eBay for $42.70 as part of the investigation and later determined it was Douglas County property.

The DCI report states “when (Strid) sold the light bar parts he knew that the items were not his personal property to sell.”

Other items that belonged to either the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or the Delmont Police Department may also have been illegally sold online.

In an interview with The Daily Republic, Strid termed the sale of law enforcement equipment “an honest mistake” that he regrets, although he said he didn’t steal anything.

The warrant was served by the DCI. Strid told The Daily Republic on Monday afternoon he was “in contact” with the DCI.

The case will be prosecuted by Charles Mix County State’s Attorney Pam Hein, according to Hein and the Douglas County State’s Attorney’s Office.

According to the complaint, Strid profited from the sale of property owned by either the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or the Delmont Police Department.

A report prepared by DCI Special Agent Jason Piercy states that Strid had Corsica Police Chief Darin Moke sell items, including a six-switch light bar controller, on eBay.

Moke has not been charged, Hein said. She discussed the case with the DCI and decided not to pursue criminal charges against him.

“We don’t believe he had any knowledge” the items were public property, Hein said.

Former Douglas County Sheriff Tim Simonsen, who spoke with the DCI during the investigation, described Moke as an “eBay freak,” according to the report.

Moke also told the DCI agent he hopes to make eBay sales his career, the report states, and Moke confirmed that in an interview with The Daily Republic.

Strid twice served as chief of police in Delmont and was once the chief in Corsica while still serving as the part-time chief in Delmont. He has also been a police officer in Tripp and was a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy before being elected in 2010.

He spoke with a Daily Republic reporter three times Monday after the newspaper learned of the investigation.

At first, he denied any knowledge of a warrant for his arrest or of any criminal investigation.

When reached a second time on his cell phone, the sheriff said “no comment” and hung up.

Strid, who had not been on duty, then drove to the Douglas County Courthouse in Armour. He was dressed in civilian clothes and driving an unmarked maroon pickup.

Strid asked the clerk of courts for copies of documents, which he read before heading to his office. He then went to the office for a few minutes before returning to his pickup and driving to his home in Corsica.

An hour later, he called The Daily Republic and said he wanted to offer his side of what happened.

Strid said he didn’t steal anything and is unsure how the equipment ended up with Moke and on sale on eBay. The controller and other items were kept in a milk crate in an unlocked old county jail cell, he said.

“I don’t remember going up in the jail and picking it up,” the sheriff said.

Strid admitted the controller did end up on eBay and most of the proceeds were transferred into his wife’s account.

“Somehow it did,” he said. “If I knew it was county property, I would not have sold it. I’m not saying I went up there and took it.”

According to the DCI report, Moke has sold numerous law enforcement items on eBay, including a holster, handcuff case, gunbelt, light belt parts, control boxes and siren boxes.

Armour Police Chief Neal Moad alerted the DCI of the sale of the items after his son spotted the controller for sale on eBay. That led to a three-month-long investigation that followed a winding path of items handed from law enforcement agencies to other agencies. Some items were transferred with careful documentation while other pieces of equipment were left in unlocked jail cells or in other easily accessible areas.

Strid said he has copies of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office inventories signed by former sheriff Simonsen. One shows all items are accounted for while a second shows some missing items.

Simonsen said it all depends on what reports Strid saw. An initial audit showed everything was on hand but a later one revealed some things were missing, he said.

Simonsen, now the acting police chief in Wagner, said he was surprised to learn of the investigation and charge. He said Strid did a good job when he worked for him as a deputy sheriff and there was no question of Strid’s honesty.

“I had no problem with him,” Simonsen said. “I was surprised to learn he took and sold things on eBay.”

Simonsen was himself the subject of a criminal investigation and some unwelcome publicity when he was reportedly spotted urinating along a rural road in 2009. On Monday, Simonsen said he had done that but was not charged with any crime for his action.

The two men ran against each other in a three-way race for the Republican nomination for Douglas County sheriff in June 2010. Strid won and had no opponent in November.

Strid told the DCI agent he was concerned the investigation and an arrest could mean the end of his career. At one point during the interview, he wept, according to the DCI report.

On Monday, during his third interview with The Daily Republic, he sounded very upset and said he is indeed worried.

“Wouldn’t you be?” Strid said. “Bottom line is, it was an honest mistake and I apologize to the people for giving the sheriff’s office a bad name.”

Strid took office in January. He remains on duty while his sole deputy is in Pierre for law enforcement training that ends in May.

Strid said he will meet with the Douglas County Commission to discuss the matter. He is unsure when that might happen.

Douglas County Commission Chairperson Karen Blume said she learned of the criminal investigation at noon Monday. Blume said “no” when asked if the news surprised her but declined to explain why she wasn’t surprised.

Blume said the commissioners have no plans to discuss the investigation. Their next regular meeting is set for April 19, but they will meet today as the county Board of Equalization.

“The commissioners have absolutely nothing to do with this right now,” she said.

Moke said Monday he hopes Strid can move on from the criminal investigation.

“I think it’s a misunderstanding,” Moke said in an interview with The Daily Republic. “I hope he’s exonerated for it.”

The two men are friends, he said, and have teamed up to sell items on eBay. Moke, 30, said he had no idea some of the items may have belonged to law enforcement agencies.

He said it was “absolutely” embarrassing to be involved in a criminal investigation as a chief of police.

Moke said he spoke with Strid on Monday.

“I just told him to keep his chin up and everything will come out in the wash,” he said.

Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Johnson, the president of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association, said no sheriff in the state has been removed from office by a governor during his 12 years in office, but he said state law gives the governor that authority.

“He could possibly suspend someone … it’s possible the governor could remove someone,” Johnson said.

According to state statute, the governor must suspend a law enforcement officer charged with a felony and can do so when a lesser charge is filed. Joe Kafka, spokesman for Gov. Dennis Daugaard, said the governor’s office was not aware of the charges until The Daily Republic contacted the office Monday.

Johnson said law enforcement agencies often share or give away equipment to each other.

“They certainly do at times. They will surplus certain equipment and give it to a department in need,” he said. “There’s still a process that needs to be gone through properly.”

But Johnson said the news was still a jolt.

“It’s disappointing that any sheriff, let alone any law enforcement officer, is charged with a crime,” he said. “The sheriff is elected by the people of his or her county and is expected to be above and beyond the average person when it comes to honor, ethics and abiding by the law they are entrusted to enforce.

“The sheriff is one of the most respected and trusted persons in any county and over the years has earned that reputation in South Dakota,” Johnson said. “The legal system will have to take its course as far as the charges of this case are concerned, but again, it is extremely disappointing that a sheriff is charged with a crime.”

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