Iowa parole officer stole from offenders

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Print Story*:*Iowa parole officer stole from offenders*-*CorrectionsOne.com

11/20/2007
Iowa parole officer stole from offenders
Associated Press

IOWA — A former parole and probation officer charged with taking money from offenders told officials he never intended to permanently deprive them of their money.

Lance Summers, 36, of Burlington, worked in eastern and central Iowa judicial districts between 2002 and 2006. He faces charges in Dallas County and Lee County.


The state auditor said Monday that Summers appears to have deposited money he collected from offenders into his own bank accounts instead of turning them in to the state.

Auditor David Vaudt's special report said Lance Summers, who worked for the Department of Corrections, failed to deposit at least $4,194. The report said auditors found at least $3,860 deposited from unidentified sources into his personal bank account.

Summers, 36, of Burlington resigned in August 2006 after an investigation started into alleged missing deposits. He had been on paid suspension for about three months.

Summers was arrested in early February and charged in Dallas County with felonious misconduct in office. In Lee County, he was charged with second-degree theft, also a felony.

Summers had worked in both the Fifth Judicial District in central Iowa and in the Eighth Judicial District in southeast Iowa.

Each charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $7,500.

Court records indicate Summers has agreed to plead guilty to second-degree theft in Lee County, where sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday in Keokuk.

Prosecutors in the Iowa attorney general's office are handling the Lee County case, said Bob Brammer, a spokesman in the office.

Dallas County Attorney Wayne Reisetter said Summers is expected to enter a guilty plea to the Dallas County charge on Tuesday in Lee County. His sentence will be set later, Reisetter said.

Summers' attorney, Michael Clark, of Burlington did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Summers denied he intentionally took the money in interviews with Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents and in his resignation letter submitted Aug. 4, 2006.

He offered to give up his vacation pay worth as much as $10,000 and his 1,000 hours of accumulated sick time. Summers said he would consider handing over his IPERS retirement worth about $30,000.

"The only thing I didn't want is to be charged with some type of theft or crime because I never had any intent on permanently depriving the owners of their money," he wrote.

[speedy6804]

typical convict! remorseful after the fact and now wants to buy his way out?good show Okie keep up the fight!criminals are everywhere sometimes on the wrong side of the guard line.but hey the more the better i say its good job security!

[shakedownshorti]

What a dumb ass!!!!

[Gaoler]

Honestly, I didn't plan on keeping the money permanently. Only until I got caught.

[Custodian]

Here in NC, P/PO are controlled by the same agency as DOC. I always thought before they unleash you onto the streets as a P/PO here you need to spend some time as a C/O first. I guess this parole officer is going to learn that in reverse and the hard way too.
Trade your employee ID for a prison ID, what an idiot.

[Iowa #1603]

I just checked the state court system and he was sentenced to 5 yrs prison. He is currently out on appeal bond.

I am home and not at work so I do not have access to his file.....

I remember this when the news came out and have read the report from the state auditors office (its online)

Custodian...........in Iowa they are a part of the DOC but actually are paid by the judical district........its a hybrid system......Community Corrections (PPO's are part of Community Corrections) can transfer into DOC but DOC officers can not transfer to CC...we have to go thu the hiring process to become PPO's..........oh well.
Very FEW PPO's have been CO's......................Most are college kids with CJ degrees or Social Work degrees.

This guy is a real POS .......................

[conkicker241]

I was a former PO (First a CO) burned out after 3 years. Now back as a CO. And that is the dumbest thing I ever heard. Everyone knows that it would be stupid to risk your career, over takeing some stupid money orders for $35.00. (probation fees). Besides the fact that all that can be easley traced, and all money order receipts are keep in a booklet, and audited every month, to keep track of them all. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!!! I have heard of a Secatary doing this, and she got caught also.

[Iowa #1603]

Originally Posted by conkicker241

I was a former PO (First a CO) burned out after 3 years. Now back as a CO. And that is the dumbest thing I ever heard. Everyone knows that it would be stupid to risk your career, over takeing some stupid money orders for $35.00. (probation fees). Besides the fact that all that can be easley traced, and all money order receipts are keep in a booklet, and audited every month, to keep track of them all. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!!! I have heard of a Secatary doing this, and she got caught also.

Here is the report that got the POS charged and convicted

http://auditor.iowa.gov/specials/Fif...ictSpecial.pdf

Quite the read..............

[Movementarian]

His resignation letter is awful. It reads like something that an inmate would write.