SLED STARTS TO INVESTIGATE EX-COLLETON COUNTY SHERIFF

Use Of Drug-Seizure Funds Questioned

WALTERBORO (AP) - The Colleton County sheriff and a councilman have asked
state authorities to investigate whether former Sheriff Allan Beach
improperly spent any of the millions of dollars in federal drug-seizure
funds his office received.

The State Law Enforcement Division has been asked to investigate "possible
financial improprieties" within the sheriff's office, attorney general
spokesman Trey Walker said.

Beach said all the money was spent using federal guidelines and he is not
worried about the investigation.

No specific evidence of misconduct has been discovered, but County Council
Chairman Steven Murdaugh and Sheriff George Malone sent a letter to
Attorney General Henry McMaster last week asking he look into "numerous and
wide-ranging speculations concerning possible financial improprieties"
between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2004, when Beach was in office.

Much of the money came from drug-related seizures on Interstate 95 by the
Colleton County's drug interdiction team.

Once a case is successfully prosecuted, the sheriff gets a portion of the
money and can spend it without the council's approval.

Beach said he does not know how many millions of dollars his office spent
or received but that it bought new vehicles, a new 911 system and helped
improve the jail.

Malone, who took office in January, said at least part of the reason he
asked for an investigation comes after he received a $300,000 bill from
Alutiiq, an Alaskan-based security company that worked on the jail.

While Beach said he intended to use drug-seizure money that is still due to
the office to pay the bill, Malone said the amount that is pending won't be
enough to cover it. Malone also said he has no intention of paying Alutiiq
because he's not sure what work has been done.

Officials also have questioned if and why a deputy was working for Beach
and Alutiiq at the same time.

Malone said his office is getting other bills generated during Beach's tenure.

He said those have contributed to a budget shortfall that was projected to
be about $120,000.

County Council has contributed $97,000 out of the general fund to mitigate
the problem, but Malone thinks the budget woes will carry into the next year.

Beach said a lot of the concerns could have been cleared up if the new
sheriff or the council picked up the phone and called him.