US Sheriff Dept Forced To Repay $70,000 After Buying A 707bhp Hellcat

After it emerged that a sheriff's office in Georgia had spent redistributed drug money on a Dodge Charger Hellcat, the Department of Justice wasn't too pleased...
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An American police sheriff is feeling the heat himself after it emerged his office had reportedly used seized drug money to buy the team a Dodge Charger Hellcat… which he then used as his daily.

We have to admit we laughed quite a bit, but back to the facts. Sheriff Butch Conway (a superb name for a law enforcement agent) of Gwinnett County authorised a $69,258 payment for the Hellcat in April, with the money coming from ‘forfeiture funds,’ or seized assets. That can range from TVs to homes (all of which is sold), or even straightforward cash. This money, though, came from drugs.

US Sheriff Dept Forced To Repay $70,000 After Buying A 707bhp Hellcat

While the purchase was apparently approved by the Department of Justice (DoJ) at the time, officials weren’t informed that it was the tasty 707bhp version of the popular four-door American icon. They’ve since re-branded the purchase as “excessive” and demanded the Sheriff’s office repays the money.

Sheriff Conway initially did his best to justify the purchase of the all-black car, which he had apparently been using to drive to and from work as well as taking it to ‘Beat the Heat’ events where the police can work with young drivers to educate them about the risks of driving drunk or distracted.

Image: Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Image: Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office via The Atlanta Journal…

Responding to the DoJ’s assertion that legislation is there to prohibit the use of seized funds to make extravagant purchases, Sheriff Conway’s office provided a written statement to local media that said:

“Sheriff Conway maintains that this vehicle is an appropriate purchase, especially for an agency with a $92 million budget and the opportunity this vehicle provides in making our roadways safer.

Local news outlet the Atlanta Journal-Constitution added:

“The sheriff’s Hellcat application touted the high-powered vehicle’s potential use in Gwinnett County’s Beat the Heat program, a non-profit that uses drag races in controlled environments to “educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and illegal street racing”.”

Still, the money will be repaid as per the DoJ’s request. As for the Hellcat… well, we can only assume Sheriff Conway, who has been in office since 1996, will be protecting and serving from behind its hilarious supercharged V8 for a long time to come.

Source: Jalopnik

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Comments

Anonymous

How they got the money alone should be a criminal act. Civil forefeture it downright wrong. Let alone how police departments use it in their slush funds.

07/20/2018 - 18:26 |
4 | 2
Anonymous

This is the guy from Live PD right?

07/20/2018 - 22:42 |
2 | 0
My Name is Joel

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I googled it quick, it sounds like his officers will be featured on it soon or just started to be featured, it didn’t seem like he was on it though. I only watch the YouTube clips though and i didnt read too far into my Google search so i could be wrong.

07/21/2018 - 01:29 |
2 | 0
Stig's Police Cousin

“Beat the heat” in most areas is actually a program they do where they go to a local drag strip and race all the local boys. Its awesome. Luckily in my area they dont have a hellcat :P

07/21/2018 - 07:43 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Meanwhile our ‘’road police’’

07/21/2018 - 09:14 |
0 | 0
Mikko Surakka

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Meanwhile in Finland

10/12/2018 - 15:34 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Hey, thats fine by me. The police in the US are always scrutinized. Let them have this. They earned it.

07/21/2018 - 16:34 |
0 | 2
MR-2

Sadly i probably would’ve done that too.

07/21/2018 - 20:20 |
2 | 0
AnOrangeHellcat

what a lad

07/22/2018 - 22:34 |
2 | 0
RodriguezRacer456 (Aventador SV) (Lambo Squad)

I can only imagine the way the Seacrest County police must have convinced the DoJ to let them purchase a $1.5 million limited production exotic.

07/23/2018 - 14:56 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Finally my county doing something right

07/24/2018 - 11:02 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Our local police got themselves an Evo for ‘road policing’

10/12/2018 - 14:41 |
0 | 0