Audit: Pinal County Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices mishandled distribution of funds
The Pinal County Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices, under their former leaders, distributed more than $2 million in profits from seized assets to community groups without proper oversight, in some cases not even maintaining paperwork that showed how the money would be used, according to a state audit released Monday.
In addition, some employees of former Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu’s office “appear to have violated” state conflict-of-interest laws by helping to award money to an organization that was managed in part by employees of the office, some of whom decided how money was spent, the audit found.
The audit urged both offices to make immediate changes that would assure the money seized as part of criminal investigations under anti-racketeering laws is handled appropriately. Much of the money comes from assets seized in drug investigations.
The state Auditor General’s Office also submitted its report to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for further review.
Related: Former Pinal County attorney: Audit on Babeu mishandling of funds reflects what he saw