SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An employee at the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA) store has been fired, accused of stealing, and accused of issues related to the sale and transfer of firearms.
In an email obtained by ABC 10News, DSA President Mike O’Deane wrote, “On January 30th, I was notified of several financial/merchandise discrepancies regarding purchases made using DSA funds by our former store manager. All DSA Directors were immediately notified of this discovery and we launched an internal audit to determine the extent of what we believed was criminal theft. The employee was terminated the following morning and we notified the Sheriff’s Department, and a criminal report was generated.”
The email says as DSA officials audited their inventory, they discovered what they believe are other instances of theft spanning well over a year.
O’Deane told members, “Moreover, we uncovered what we believe to be improprieties related to the sale, purchase, and transfer of firearms in our store. As required by law, we notified the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) requesting they conduct an investigation into any possible firearms related violations.”
In the email, O’Deane called the employee's actions a betrayal of each and every DSA member. ABC 10News is not naming the employee because they have not been arrested or charged with any crime.
A representative for the Deputy Sheriff’s Association told ABC 10News they can’t comment because there’s an investigation underway.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said:
“On Tuesday, January 31 just after 9:00 a.m., a deputy with the Poway Sheriff's Station responded to the 13000 block of Danielson Street at the Deputy Sheriff's Association. The deputy was responding to a report of a potential theft by an employee. No Sheriff's Department employees are implicated in any wrongdoing at this time and we do not believe that there will be. No arrests have been made at this time. The investigation is ongoing.”
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told ABC 10news they are aware of the allegations against the employee but don’t comment on whether an individual is under investigation.
