Former Minidoka sheriff pleads guilty to felony misuse of public funds
Former Minidoka County Sheriff Kevin Halverson has pleaded guilty to misuse of public funds, the Idaho Attorney General reports, and will be sentenced on the felony charge Sept. 13. As part of a plea agreement, Halverson resigned as sheriff and the court may disqualify him from holding public office in the future. Also, in a related case, Minidoka sheriff's office employee Alicia Daniel was charged with a felony count of forgery for knowingly submitting false time cards. Click below for Attorney General Lawrence Wasden's full announcement; his office's special prosecutions unit was asked to investigate the case by the local county prosecutor.
STATE OF IDAHO
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
LAWRENCE WASDEN
For Immediate Release
July 30, 2013
Former Minidoka County Sheriff pleads guilty, employee charged
(Boise) - Kevin Halverson, the former Sheriff of Minidoka County, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of misuse of public moneys by a public officer, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said. Halverson entered his plea in Fifth District Court in Minidoka County. District Judge Robert J. Elgee accepted the plea, ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set a sentencing hearing for 10:30 AM on September 13, 2013.
By pleading guilty, Halverson admitted he knowingly used a Minidoka County gas card to purchase fuel for personal purposes. As part of his plea agreement with the state, Halverson resigned as sheriff on July 1, 2013, and the court may disqualify him from holding public office in the future.
In a related case, the Attorney General today charged Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office employee Alice “Alicia” Daniel with the felony crime of forgery. The complaint alleges that between April 2012 and April, 2013, Daniel knowingly and with the intent to defraud the county made, or submitted as true and genuine, false timecards.
The court issued a summons, ordering Daniel to appear on August 15, 2013 at 9:30 AM.
Attorney General Wasden noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Halvorson and Daniel cases were investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit at the request of Minidoka County Prosecuting Attorney Lance D. Stevenson.
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