The Hawk Eye
FORT MADISON, Iowa — A man who claims Lee County law enforcement officials have illegally targeted him for criminal misconduct and mistreated him for years formally announced his candidacy for Lee County Sheriff Tuesday at the courthouse in Fort Madison.
Jason Eaves, 44, who formerly owned the Pleasure Factor, an adult sex shop in Fort Madison, is expected to face Stacy Weber, an investigator in the Lee County Sheriff’s office, in the June 7 Democratic Party primary.
The winner of the primary likely will face Lee County Chief Deputy Scott Bonar, a Republican, in the general election in November.
Lee County Auditor Denise Fraise confirmed Eaves filed the necessary petition containing 100 signatures about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. She said Weber already has filed his papers confirming his candidacy.
Bonar said Tuesday he formally will file for office next week as a Republican. He said Tuesday he has heard of no one who has expressed interest in running against him in the Republican primary, also in June.
The position came open earlier this year when longtime Lee County Sheriff Jim “Spike” Sholl unexpectedly announced his retirement to devote more time to his family. Sholl has endorsed Bonar’s candidacy.
In announcing his candidacy Tuesday, Eaves said in a press release he decided to run for sheriff because of the “unethical practices” he has faced for several years in Lee County.
“I really think people all over the country are fed up with corruption and wrong-doing among government officials,” he said. “I feel like the time is right for someone like me, who has seen these things first-hand, to take a leadership role and clean things up here at home.”
Eaves initially was charged in April 2012 with several felonies after members of the Lee County Drug Task Force, headed by Weber, raided the Pleasure Factor after they received information Eaves was selling bath salts and other illegal drugs out of the local sex shop he operated.
He was booked into the Lee County jail on charges of money laundering and ongoing criminal activity. He also was charged with one count of a drug tax stamp violation.
However, about two months later, prosecutors dismissed several charges against Eaves after laboratory test results on the suspected bath salts came back negative. He eventually entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of not having a tax stamp. He was fined and placed on probation.
According to his press release, Eaves accused Weber of being one of the “county officials who was personally involved in abuse towards” him and his family.
Weber declined to comment Tuesday on Eaves’ accusations against him, saying he simply was doing his job as a member of the task force when they raided Eaves’ business. Weber said he would have no additional comment on Eaves’ statements at this time.
“I will let the voters (of the county) decide who they want to be sheriff,” he said.
Copyright 2016 The Hawk Eye