JASPER, Ala. (CN) - A sheriff's deputy was fired for cooperating in an FBI investigation of his boss, who killed himself after stealing drug-arrest money to pay personal bills and support his mistress, the ex-officer claims in a retaliation lawsuit.
Adam Hadder sued Walker County, Ala. and Sheriff John Mark Tirey, in Federal Court.
Walker County, pop. 67,000, is in northwestern Alabama, 22 miles from Birmingham.
Hadder was a deputy with the county Sheriff's Department for 15 years, until Sheriff Tirey fired him in September 2012. He worked for the Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET) for 13 years, serving as its assistant director after January 2007, according to the lawsuit.
Paul Kilgore, previously chief deputy of the county, became director of the narcotics team in January 2001.
Kilgore committed suicide in 2012, according to the complaint.
The Narcotics enforcement Team investigated drug trafficking, made undercover buys and seized drugs and cash from suspects.
After documenting confiscated drug money, officers turned it over to Kilgore, and stored drug evidence in the county's evidence locker, according to the lawsuit.
"The NET squad had a bank account which assisted in funding its operations, and members of the squad were given cash to make undercover drug buys from this account," the complaint states. "Funds which were forfeited by convicted suspects were placed into this account to be used for law enforcement purposes. Kilgore was an authorized signatory on this account (upon information and belief Tirey was as well). Kilgore routinely wrote checks from this account to officers in the squad for 'buy money.'
"Kilgore misappropriated funds from this account on a regular basis, paying personal bills from the account for himself, his wife and children, and for the secretary of the squad who was, upon information and belief, his mistress and the mother of his illegitimate child." (Parentheses in complaint).
In June 2010, Hadder and his partner made an arrest and seized $8,000 in cash and drug evidence from a suspect. They took the money to the sheriff's office and handed it over to Kilgore, according to the lawsuit.
Hadder claims the FBI asked to take over the case. After Hadder delivered his case file and the drug evidence to the FBI, the Sheriff's Office received a subpoena for the cash he had seized during the arrest, according to the lawsuit.
Hadder says he noticed Kilgore became "agitated" upon receiving the subpoena.
He says he then asked to speak to Sheriff Tirey about the missing money and other alleged misconduct by Kilgore.
Tirey agreed to see Hadder outside the sheriff's office, in an alley beside a power company building, according to the lawsuit.
"Tirey then informed the plaintiff that 'he [Tirey] would take care of it,' and that if 'anyone wanted to talk about the situation, especially the FBI,' that Hadder was to 'keep [his] damn mouth shut,' and not to say 'a fucking word,'" the complaint states.
"During the same week plaintiff also consulted Bill Adair, the Walker County District Attorney, and informed Mr. Adair of the situation. Mr. Adair informed Hadder that he had heard similar stories about Kilgore in the past, and promised to look into the situation. Upon information and belief, the only action taken by Mr. Adair was to report this conversation to Tirey." (Brackets in complaint).
Adair is not a party to the lawsuit.
