Did the No. 2 man in the Salt Lake County sheriff's office order his stepdaughter's drug arrest swept under the carpet?
Rumors to that effect are running rampant inside the department, according to sources.But Senior Chief Deputy Don Strong emphatically denies any wrongdoing or special treatment and said he was actually the one who told deputies to arrest his stepdaughter.
"I have not asked anyone that they soften it. In fact, I've done the opposite," he said.
The case was screened with prosecutors, and drug charges were recently filed against two other people who were arrested with her.
But if people want to know the public details about the April 7 arrest, they're out of luck.
The sheriff's report has been marked "confidential." Instead of being on file, the report indicates that all inquirers should speak with Sgt. Larry Maxwell, Lt. Rick Burbidge or Capt. Dean Carr. Not even records clerks can access the report because it isn't filed in the system.
After a request for the report was made Monday, Carr said he knew nothing about it.
On April 7, jail records show, Strong's 32-year-old stepdaughter was booked into jail for investigation of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. Three others were arrested with her - two women, age 36 and 38, and a 37-year-old man.
A source in the sheriff's office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said deputies working in the sheriff's neighborhood narcotics office were sent to a motel on reports that drugs were being sold from a motel room.
The deputies conducted a "knock and talk" investigation asking to enter the room and check for illegal substances. Once inside, the deputies found cocaine and packaging material, according to the source.
Deputy sheriff Thomas Russell determined that he had probable cause to book all four for possessing cocaine with the intent to sell it.
According to the source, Strong called the arresting deputy several times before finally reaching the officer at his home at 3 a.m. the next day. Strong allegedly called the deputy into his office to discuss the case later.
The source said Strong asked the deputy to allow his stepdaughter to provide narcotics officers with information in exchange for not filing criminal charges. Such an arrangement is unusual because law enforcement officers usually offer such deals only when the arrested person helps investigators nab a "bigger fish" such as their drug supplier, according to several police sources.
Strong, however, said he received information about where his stepdaughter was, passed that information to narcotics officers and said, "Do what you need to do."
He said after her arrest he contacted the jail and PreTrial Services and said, "I don't want her out. I think she needs to go through the system."
Sheriff's spokesman Rod Norton said, however, that Strong actually spoke with a bondsman that he mistakenly believed was a jailer.
Strong said Russell did come into his office but only to give him a sweatshirt his stepdaughter had been wearing. Strong said he understood his stepdaughter did not have any drugs on her when she was arrested and had told his stepdaughter to cooperate fully "but not in exchange for anything."
He said the deputy told him he didn't think they should use her as a confidential informant. "I didn't want her getting involved with these people more than she was," Strong added.
Russell could not be reached for comment.
Drew Moren, agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, also said the allegations that Strong tried to use his influence are untrue.
"There were no special considerations given this matter whatsoever," he said emphatically. "Spe-cial considerations on things like this would kill us."
Moren said investigators first wanted Strong's stepdaughter to cooperate with them to make more arrests but then decided "we'd probably be better off with re-ha-bil-i-ta-tion."
He said the county attorney gave them permission to have her work with them and said they still may have her do that or file charges.
Sheriff Aaron Kennard said he knew nothing about the rumors and doubts their veracity. He did not know why the report was not available and indicated he would take steps to make it available.
Norton said some police reports related to narcotics operations are not filed with the sheriff's office until the investigation is com-pleted.
Although some narcotics reports are classified as confidential, it is rare to have inquiries referred to records officials. Sources say that indicates something amiss about the case. Norton said, however, that may be a new "standard procedure."