Department Responds To Allegations Against SJ Sheriff
Sheriff Dunn Allegedly Interfered With Federal Investigation
POSTED: 9:55 a.m. PDT October 22, 2002
UPDATED: 10:09 a.m. PDT October 22, 2002
STOCKTON, Calif. -- The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department is responding for the first time to allegations that the sheriff interfered with a federal investigation, an investigation that led to the indictment of a longtime friend of the sheriff.
The department is commenting on one part of the federal investigation into Monte McFall, a rancher, former sheriff's deputy, and a longtime friend of Sheriff Baxter Dunn.
This summer, as McFall was being investigated by the FBI, he received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service containing old tax records.
McFall said he found that letter unusual because it had been opened before he received it and because he never requested the IRS send him the tax records.
"Now Mr. McFall felt that the FBI or the district attorney's office who was investigating him were the ones that had ordered this item. The sheriff's office did not feel that way," San Joaquin County Sheriff's detective Lori Darneal said.
Darneal said it turned out the post office accidentally opened the letter, but there was never any evidence as to who wanted McFall's tax records from the IRS and the case was dropped.
All of that is significant because of allegations that McFall's friend, Sheriff Baxter Dunn, reached out to the FBI, even going so far as to open a probe into the FBI agents who were investigating McFall, something the sheriff's spokeswoman flatly denies.
"We didn't contact the FBI because there was no reason for us to contact the FBI. They were never listed as suspects," sheriff's department spokeswoman Nelida Stone said.
Stone said Dunn only spoke to the FBI when they came to him while investigating McFall.
"It's really frustrating for the sheriff to read allegations of him interfering with an FBI investigation," Stone said.
The letter is the only aspect of the McFall investigation that the department will talk about because they say it's public record.
The FBI declined to comment.
Sheriff Dunn is being investigated in a separate case for possible civil rights violations stemming from an arrest deputies made in Manteca four years ago.
The department is commenting on one part of the federal investigation into Monte McFall, a rancher, former sheriff's deputy, and a longtime friend of Sheriff Baxter Dunn.
This summer, as McFall was being investigated by the FBI, he received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service containing old tax records.
McFall said he found that letter unusual because it had been opened before he received it and because he never requested the IRS send him the tax records.
"Now Mr. McFall felt that the FBI or the district attorney's office who was investigating him were the ones that had ordered this item. The sheriff's office did not feel that way," San Joaquin County Sheriff's detective Lori Darneal said.
Darneal said it turned out the post office accidentally opened the letter, but there was never any evidence as to who wanted McFall's tax records from the IRS and the case was dropped.
All of that is significant because of allegations that McFall's friend, Sheriff Baxter Dunn, reached out to the FBI, even going so far as to open a probe into the FBI agents who were investigating McFall, something the sheriff's spokeswoman flatly denies.
"We didn't contact the FBI because there was no reason for us to contact the FBI. They were never listed as suspects," sheriff's department spokeswoman Nelida Stone said.
Stone said Dunn only spoke to the FBI when they came to him while investigating McFall.
"It's really frustrating for the sheriff to read allegations of him interfering with an FBI investigation," Stone said.
The letter is the only aspect of the McFall investigation that the department will talk about because they say it's public record.
The FBI declined to comment.
Sheriff Dunn is being investigated in a separate case for possible civil rights violations stemming from an arrest deputies made in Manteca four years ago.Copyright 2002 by TheKCRAChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
