Curry County commissioners allege Sheriff John Ward and former Sheriff John Bishop accepted $390,000 from the local non-profit John G. Atkins Foundation between 2009 and 2023, purposefully withholding information about the donations from local government.
In a post on Facebook, commissioners provided invoices they say is evidence of the sheriff’s department using the funds for "private gain." The receipts show purchases of a jet ski, speed boat, 6-foot grill and vehicles. Commissioners also allege the sheriff’s department used funds for a $15,000- retirement party for Bishop.
Ward was not immediately available for comment.
Bishop was convicted of stealing money from the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association in 2019 while serving as the group’s executive director.
“Donations to the Curry County Sheriff’s Office are recorded and deposited into restricted accounts to ensure appropriate legal use of the funds,” commissioners said in a statement. “Access to large sums of donated funds must be granted during the budget process, and disbursements of those funds are always documented.”
It’s unclear to what extent Ward’s department has used items purchased from the donations for police work. In documents provided by the county, foundation administrator Rory Smith said a $6,000 jet ski purchased for Ward was not intended to be owned by the county despite its use for search and rescue. He said the foundation also bought a $28,000 jet boat for Bishop for use in police work, again without intending the county to own the asset.
Commissioners say they cannot account for more than $90,000 in donations.
“It is difficult to comprehend that corruption of this magnitude is possible at the local level, and we are dedicated to rooting it out,” Commissioner Jay Trost said in a statement.
The allegations follow years of conflict between the sheriff’s department and county government.
In April, commissioners accused Ward of improperly selling $10,000 worth of county ammunition to officers and at least one community member. Ward said the ammo was used by deputies for target practice, something not provided by the county.
Last year, a judge ruled Ward must provide some documents to the county including personnel records, inventory lists and contracts with outside agencies, as well as hand over duplicate keys to county vehicles. Commissioners claim Ward is in violation of that order.
“It is clear now that the attempts to gain signatures to recall two commissioners, filing a false bar complaint against the County Counsel and refusal to follow the recent Curry County Circuit Court Declaratory Judgement were merely attempts to subvert accountability,” Trost said in a statement.
Trost said commissioners expect to find more information on the sheriff's department purchases in the coming weeks. Commissioners said they have shared evidence with Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, Oregon Government Ethics Commission and the Curry County District Attorney.
