The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office this week launched a criminal investigation of a former employee of the county Division of Fleet Services, Lt. Larry Marx said Thursday.
The investigation comes in connection with an inventory that found two dump trucks and a Ford Taurus missing from the county car lot. The inventory, conducted three weeks ago by fleet director Nick Morgan, is one of two routine annual checks, said public works director Lonnie Johnson.Investigators suspect the employee sold the vehicles and pocketed the money, the Associated Press reported.
Public works, which oversees fleet services, conducted its own investigation before turning the matter over to the sheriff's office, Johnson said. The county fleet includes inventories and repairs of all county vehicles.
The male employee, who has not been identified, resigned in connection with an unrelated matter last February, Johnson said.
"I'm very, very disappointed," Johnson said. "I had a lot of trust in the individual."
Criminal charges are expected to be filed soon, Marx said.