SHERIFF'S RETURN HOME REMAINS UNCERTAIN

The Dallas County Official Is On Vacation While State Officials Check
Into Reports Of Missing Money

Dallas County officials said Wednesday that they don't know when
Sheriff Brian Gilbert will return from his self-imposed vacation,
which began last week as state officials launched an investigation
into an alleged missing packet of money confiscated by his department.

Meanwhile, an attorney involved in the case declined to say on
Wednesday how long the investigation would last or whether Gilbert
could return to work while the investigation remained open.

The probe into the Dallas County sheriff's department began last
month after more than $781,000 in alleged hidden cash was taken from
an out-of-state driver who was stopped near De Soto last month.

A packet of the money allegedly vanished between the time the cash
was discovered and its arrival at the sheriff's office, where it
wasn't counted until the next day.

Court records show that Gilbert was in charge of transporting the
cash after it was removed from the car at a state garage. Agents
searched Gilbert's home last week, but no charges have been filed.
Nor have investigators said Gilbert, specifically, is under investigation.

Dallas County Attorney Wayne Reisitter said that because the sheriff
is elected, county supervisors are not able to place Gilbert on
administrative leave while an investigation takes place.

Supervisor Chairman Mark Hanson said Wednesday that supervisors are
concerned about the situation.

"Brian is still the sheriff and reports to the citizens of the
county. He was elected to do that," Hanson said. How long Gilbert
might be on vacation, however, "is a question that will be answered
in time. We have full faith and confidence in Kevin and the ongoing
job he is doing running that department in his (Gilbert's) absence.
There is an ongoing investigation, and we don't know how long that will take."

Gilbert is paid $62,597 a year as sheriff, said county operations
administrator Connie Kinnard. Because he is elected, there's no
specified vacation time.

Dan Voogt, an assistant Polk County attorney and the bureau chief of
Polk County attorney's drug and gang bureau, would not discuss a
timetable for the investigation. Decisions about charges will be made
jointly by the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Polk County
attorney's office, he said.

When asked whether his office could request that the sheriff remain
off the job until the investigation is complete, Voogt answered: "I'm
not going to talk about that."

John Quinn, agent in charge with the Division of Criminal
Investigation, said the investigation is likely to be prolonged, in
part because there will be an audit of accounts dealing with money
received by forfeiture or seized by the sheriff's department from
traffic stops and drug cases.

The sheriff's department has taken in about $2 million in forfeited
or seized money since 2001, including the most recent seizure of
$781,000 that led to the current investigation.

In Gilbert's absence, Chief Deputy Kevin Frederick is running the department.

"He said to me, 'Consider me on vacation,' " Frederick said.