The Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) -- The offices of Dallas County Sheriff Jim Bowles were on the receiving end of a search warrant executed Thursday morning by Collin County investigators.
“They walked in the office and in a loud voice announced who they were and asked for our cooperation,” Dallas County Executive Larry Forsyth told The Dallas Morning News for its online edition.
Chris Milner, a special prosecutor from Collin County, is investigating dealings between Bowles and his commissary vendor, Jack Madera. Madera is the CEO and chairman of Dallas-based Mid-America Services.
The investigation began after The News reported in September that Bowles accepted thousands of dollars in meals and travel expenses from Madera before awarding him the commissary contract. Madera also paid a construction company to pave a driveway worth about $2,000 at the sheriff’s house.
Collin County investigators catalogued who was in the sheriff’s offices and used a video camera to record the search then asked top officials -- one by one -- to leave the offices, The News reported.
“They held me in the hallway and asked who I was,” said Assistant Chief Deputy Ray Daberko. “They escorted me out.”
Bowles and Madera go back at least two decades. Since taking office in 1985, Bowles has signed five contracts with Madera and Mid-America Services to run the commissary.
Bowles has said he reimbursed Madera for the travel expenses, most of which were for law enforcement conferences. He also paid for the cost of the driveway -- but has not shown proof of those transactions.
The sheriff’s department receives a commission on goods sold in the commissary, which generates millions of dollars. The commission earnings are put toward inmate programs and other jail costs.
Madera’s most recent contract guarantees the department a commission that is at least $400,000 less than what other commissary vendors offered, public records show. Bowles has said other vendors omitted crucial information from their bids or performed poorly in the past, which is why he chose Madera’s company.