| Updated: 6/12/2012 10:13 am |
Published: 6/11/2012 10:19 pm
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Several allegations of unaccounted money and items involving a Creek County police department are continuing to be investigated by local, county and state law enforcement.
One case involves a large amount of missing cash.
On Friday the Creek County Sheriff’s Office started taking emergency calls for Mounds residents.
Meantime, the Mounds Police Department remains shut down.
In an exclusive interview with FOX23 News one woman claims she had several thousand dollars missing from her lost purse.
"Tell the truth, just tell the truth on what happened to the money,” said the woman.
On September 22nd 2010, a woman, who wants to go by Crystal, said she drive off with purse on top of her car at the Dollar General store in Mounds.
Mounds officers helped her look for the purse.
She had $2,000 in a bundle in a crossword to pay her new landlord and the rest of the cash was in $2,000 bundles in a brown bank bag.
“There was a bank bag that had over $40,000 in it,” said Crystal.
She said there was $46,000 cash in her purse
"It was a gift to me for my birthday that year,” said Crystal.
She wanted to open a cell phone business and she had a friend who supported her.
Her friend gave her $100,000 cash. She bought a car that week in cash and the rest was in her purse that she was going to deposit in the bank.
Reports showed during the search she was on the phone with a man she called “boss”.
Crystal said that was a joke.
"I know a wealthy man. I've known him for 10 years. Do what's right with your life,” said Crystal.
The police report showed the Chief found an envelope with papers from purchasing a new car. She showed FOX23 News the paperwork when she purchased her car.
Crystal said as of today she’s never got her purse back or anyhting inside of it.
That same police report showed in the summary Chief Chad Long received a phone call from an anonymous caller the night the purse went missing.
“…reporting that she found the purse in the Dollar General parking lot, she needed to turn in and because of its contents was fearful of having possession of it.”
Crystal claims she didn’t find out her purse had been found until a month after she lost it.
"I got word that my purse had been found and ‘they were spending the money,’” said Crystal.
On October 20th, 2010, she went to the Mounds Police station and met Chief Chad Long.
"He told me that I was not under arrest. I had the right to leave at anytime. Whoever claimed that purse was going to get arrested for the possession of drugs,” said Crystal.
The police report summary said Chief Long found: $17,100 cash, 5 grams of ICE (meth), marijuana and a pipe and a syringe.
This was not mentioned in the property report and Crystal doesn’t have a felony history.
However, she admits she had prescription pills in her purse but that was not mentioned in the police report.
"I am not a prostitute. I am not a drug dealer. I am not a thief,” said Crystal.
She wanted her money.
"When he told me there was only 17 [thousand dollars], I don't know who got it but I knew somebody took it, I know somebody did,” said Crystal.
The report states the man who gave Crystal the money went to Mounds police and said Crystal stole the money while he was the shower in Tulsa. The alleged theft was never reported to Tulsa Police.
In the report Chief Long told Crystal, “that the case was going to be forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for review.”
She never went to any law enforcement about her suspicions and she hasn’t been charged.
"I really, really thought this was going to swept under the rug,” said Crystal.
A few months after the encounter with Chief Long, agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations called Crystal asking her about the incident.
"I've been in contact with them ever since,” said Crystal. “Apparently I am not the only one who this has happened to.”
Creek County Sheriff’s investigators confirm they are investigating several allegations of missing money and items involving the Mounds Police Department.
The investigation has been ongoing for several months.
"I have nothing to gain from this. I have nothing,” said Crystal. ”I've told OSBI that God picked up my purse and laid in that woman's lap for what reason, to bring the chief and the bring the corrupts ones out?"
The chief did not return calls made by FOX23 News.
OSBI and the District Attorney are assisting in the investigation.
The Creek County Sheriff’s office lead investigator said he hopes to turn over the case to the District Attorney by the end of the week.
No charges have been filed against the Mounds Police Chief or anyone else from the police department.
Creek County Sheriff’s deputies are responding to emergency calls in Mounds which is about ten miles from their base in Sapulpa.
Meantime, the chief and assistant chief have been suspended. The mayor wouldn't comment if it was paid or unpaid suspension.
Since the only paid officers are suspended the mayor didn't want the reserve officers patrolling without supervision.
