DRUG MONEY FUELS DTF SPENDING SPREE

MUNCIE -- The Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force and former Police
Chief Joe Winkle went on a spending spree last year with forfeited
drug money, including expenses for a personal trainer and a 50-inch
plasma television for the city hall gym.

Even bigger expenses questioned in a State Board of Account audit of
2007 city spending include payments of $31,199 for two high-end
sport-utility vehicles for DTF officers, and paying off the remaining
$17,873 loan balance on accused drug dealer Adrian Kirtz's confiscated
2003 GMC Denali that sits in storage.

More than $100,000 in DTF and Muncie police spending was questioned by
auditors, who shut down the DTF's checkbook last year after a decade
of telling city officials that forfeited drug money and assets had to
go to the city's general fund to cover law enforcement expenses.

More than $200,000 was spent out of DTF and Muncie police forfeiture
funds last year, according city records.

"Based on what we know now, I think it is very easy to say those
things should not have been authorized," said Mayor Sharon McShurley,
who took office Jan. 1, and raised questions about the spending and
Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney's dual role as prosecutor and
civil forfeiture attorney.

None of the proceeds went to the general fund, and the latest audit
shows continued money going to McKinney and Deputy Prosecutor Eric
Hoffman to handle civil forfeiture cases for the DTF. Hoffman received
$4,736 in attorney fees out of the MPD's drug interdiction fund and
McKinney and Hoffman split another $14,677 from the DTF forfeiture
fund.

The spending occurred during former Mayor Dan Canan's final year in
office, and MPD forfeiture spending was authorized by Winkle.

Canan said all the spending was accounted for and was brought to the
controller for approval.

"I did not monitor where every dollar was being spent," said
Canan.

City Controller Mary Ann Kratochvil raised questions about the
spending, but never refused to pay for DTF expenses that included
nearly $1,000 in carpeting for the prosecutor's office ($426) in the
county building and the queen's stage ($490) at the Delaware County
Fairgrounds.

"I probably should have refused to sign it, but I did not," she
said.

DTF checks were always signed by former City Supervisor Jess Neal, a
Muncie patrol officer, and County Supervisor Greg Ellison, a county
sheriff's sergeant. Spending was overseen by Winkle and Delaware
County Sheriff George Sheridan Jr.

Bill Vinson, SBA field examiner, acknowledged the state found no theft
or shortage of money despite all the questioned expenses. The SBA did
not require any repayment.

However, Vinson said that "The money should have gone to the general
fund to repay law enforcement expenses."

Winkle defended the spending on things that included donations to
traveling baseball teams, which his son participated in, and $4,294
for a personal trainer who gave police officers "boot camp training"
on how to use the gym.

"I would not have done anything different," said Winkle. "If you can
take money from drug dealers and spend it on the police department and
the kids from this community, I have no problem with that."

Given the lack of a mandatory fitness program for police, Winkle
wanted to upgrade the police gym to improve employee wellness and
reduce health care costs. Hence the $21,428 the plasma TV, large
mirrors and other equipment.

Winkle also had no regrets for spending $2,000 for youths to attend a
summer football camp at Ball State University, or $1,000 donations to
the Muncie Pirates and the Muncie Boys and Girls Club, and another
$1,350 to the Indiana Bulls baseball team.

"If someone needed to do something for kids, we always said yes," said
Winkle.