COLUMBIANA COUNTY Special prosecutor ends probe of crimes within drug task force

By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A special prosecutor appointed in May 2001 to investigate criminal acts within the Columbiana County Drug Task Force has concluded his probe.
Eugene Muldowney, an assistant Portage County prosecutor, informed Columbiana County Common Pleas Court recently, that he is finished with his task.
Muldowney was appointed to the job after Columbiana County authorities learned of money being stolen from the task force in early 2001.
Investigators, working with Muldowney, eventually arrested former task force member Eric Haueter, 24, of Salem, who was convicted of stealing $19,000 from the agency.
Haueter received a one-year prison sentence for the crime.
After Haueter's conviction, Muldowney was kept on as special prosecutor to determine whether any other crimes had been committed within the agency. No further prosecutions have resulted, however.
Muldowney was unavailable to comment.
He was appointed special prosecutor because Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron was made a witness in the case when some of the stolen money was returned to him before an arrest in the Haueter case was made.