AG Dann’s office fires special agent for sexual misconduct

After pocketing more than $42,000 during a seven-month administrative leave, a special agent who works in a division of the attorney general’s office has been fired for work-related sexual misconduct.

Attorney General Marc Dann’s office fired Dwight L. Aspacher, a special agent for the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, on April 11 after a lengthy investigation into allegations that he demanded sex from a fellow member of a narcotics task force.

Documents show that although Aspacher was suspended two days after the allegations came to light, Dann’s office didn’t open a formal investigation until more than three months later. The documents don’t shed light on the reasons for the delay, and aides to Dann couldn’t provide an explanation late yesterday.

As is standard procedure during disciplinary investigations, Aspacher was paid during his leave — a total of more than $42,000.

His firing came as Dann’s office opened an investigation into allegations that Anthony Gutierrez, a friend of Dann’s who headed the office’s purchasing and support services, had made sexual advances and comments toward two underlings.

Dann suspended Gutierrez on April 7.

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com