AUDITORS FOCUS ON SALE OF SEIZED CAR

Canton Police Transaction Probed

State auditors investigating allegations of missing guns, drugs and money
from the Canton Police Department are now focusing on how a vehicle seized
in a drug raid wound up in the possession of a former Canton officer.

The state auditor's office impounded the vehicle Thursday, Capt. Eddie
Belvedressi said.

Jesse Bingham, director of investigations for the state auditor's office,
would not comment, but Canton Police Chief Vicki McNeill said there is a
receipt for the sale.

"Some form of transaction took place but the investigation will have to
determine what and why," McNeill said.

Officials began investigating reports of missing items from the evidence
room in February after the Madison County district attorney's office
reported money seized in drug busts was missing.

McNeil wouldn't identify the officer, but Canton Alderman William Truly,
who was briefed by McNeill, said the car was seized in a drug bust and then
sold to former officer Chris Corley by another officer at the Canton Police
Department.

Corley resigned this week for unrelated reasons, Truly said.

Officials would not say who made the sale nor release details about the car.

Truly said Corley was interviewed Thursday by state investigators.

"He revealed to them how he got the car," Truly said.

Corley did not return a phone call to his home seeking comment.

The receipt is for $40 but the older-model car was worth about $1,000,
Truly said.

Alderman Kenny Wayne Jones and Truly both said the city did not authorize
the sale made while Luke Gordon was chief. Gordon, who left in January to
become emergency coordinator for Madison County, would not comment Friday.

Investigators also are looking into the sale of old police cruisers that
were sold in Monroe, La., also while Gordon was chief.

"We are trying to ascertain if city cars were sold legally or illegally;
that's what we don't know," Truly said.

Gordon earlier this week said he sold the cars four years ago to his friend
John Chisolm, owner of Chisolm Police Supply in Monroe.

"I went to the board ... and they declared them surplus. Anything we could
get out of them tickled us. Most of them left here on a trailer because so
many parts were missing," Gordon said.