CORRECTIONS OFFICER CHARGED

Lake County Jail Official Accused Of Trying To Buy Crack

A veteran Lake County Jail corrections officer was arraigned Thursday on
felony drug and weapons charges after being accused of buying crack from
undercover agents in Geneva Township.

Walter K. Toll Jr., 47, of Painesville Township, was isolated from other
inmates before being released Thursday after posting a $5,000 personal
recognizance bond.

Toll has been charged with possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and
fourth-degree felony carrying a concealed weapon because he took an
unlicensed gun to the drug deal, Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap said.

Dunlap said Toll purchased a small amount of drugs Wednesday afternoon.
Toll is accused of carrying a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver, according
to court records.

The sheriff said the deal took place near the state Route 534 exit off
Interstate 90. Lake County deputy sheriffs arrested Toll without incident
after the deal was completed, Dunlap said.

Dunlap said authorities found out about the drug deal from a confidential
informant.

He said Toll has been placed on administrative leave.

"He'll have an administrative hearing within five days. We will be asking
for his job," the sheriff said.

Dunlap said Toll was hired Aug. 26, 1991, and has not had any other
employment problems of note.

The sheriff does not think there is a drug problem at his jail. But he said
it is important to act quickly when information is brought to his attention.

"We have to clean our own house," Dunlap said. "We can ill afford to let
one or two people besmirch the reputation of the 100 other corrections
officers that work here.

"As soon as we get information about something like this, we pursue it."

The sheriff said a hearing officer from outside the department will hear
the administrative case involving Toll.

Chief Deputy William E. Crosier said new employees undergo a medical exam
before they are hired, but that does not include a drug test.

"We rely on a voice stress analysis to determine if they are involved in
any kind of drug activity," Crosier said, adding that the test is as
reliable as a lie detector.

Crosier said employees do not undergo drug testing after they are hired.

"We would have to negotiate it with our labor unions, and certainly, it's
something we would take a look at," he said.

Grand River Mayor Christopher W. Conley, who works as a corrections officer
at the jail, railed against the media when asked to comment on Toll's case.

"Leave him alone," he said.

When reached at his residence Thursday, Toll said he had no comment on the
case.

This is the second high-profile criminal case in the last six months
involving one of Dunlap's employees.

Lt. Earl Tate Jr., 46, of Concord Township, was arraigned in September on
federal bank fraud charges.

Tate pleaded innocent to the charges, which accuse him of artificially
inflating one of his private bank accounts by $154,840.

Tate is free on bond and was placed on administrative leave while his case
is pending. He is due to stand trial Feb. 28.

Toll's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8.