Charges expected in task force probe

State investigators are expected to finish their involvement any time.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A probe into money missing from the Columbiana County Drug Task Force is expected to conclude in about two weeks and will result in criminal charges, said county Prosecutor Robert Herron.
Agents from the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation plan to finish an audit of property held by the task force soon, including evidence, Herron said Friday.
Charges will follow the probe. "It's not a question of 'if,' but 'when,' " Herron said.
Assess the situation: The audit is being undertaken to ensure that nothing else besides the cash is missing, Herron explained.
So far, that appears to be all that's gone, he added. He declined, however, to say how much was taken.
Herron noted that the charges he expects to file will be felonies, meaning that the amount involved is more than $500.
Most of the money taken was returned to county officials about three weeks ago by someone acting as a go-between for the suspect in the theft.
Suspect unidentified: So far, that suspect is the only one to have emerged in the case, Herron said. Authorities aren't saying if that person is one of the task force's six members, nor have they disclosed a motive for the theft.
The task force includes officers from police departments in East Liverpool, Columbiana, East Palestine, Washingtonville, Lisbon and Salineville.
The crime was reported in mid-March by Eric Boggs, an East Liverpool police officer who serves as task force director.
Since the task force is headquartered in Center Township, the crime occurred in the sheriff department's jurisdiction. Sheriff Dave Smith asked BCI to probe the matter, however, to ensure that the investigation would be viewed as independent.
Task force operations were suspended after the theft was discovered and remain idled for now. Officers returned to their home departments.