State DCI takes over investigation of weed coordinator, commissioner

The Montana Department of Criminal Investigations Bureau (DCI) has assumed the investigation of into allegations that the county weed coordinator allegedly used county equipment on private property owned by a Stillwater County commissioner.
The investigation was being conducted by the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office after being referred there by the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office.
The initial review revealed a need for an agency with more expertise and manpower, and DCI agreed to take on the case, said Stillwater County Attorney Nancy Rohde.
Also this week, as recommended by the weed board, commissioners appointed Rob Love as the temporary weed coordinator.

AT ISSUE
Stillwater County Weed Program Coordinator William Patterson was put on administrative leave with pay June 21, pending the results of the investigation.
Patterson is accused of allegedly using county equipment to spray private property belonging to Stillwater County Commissioner Dennis Shupak. Shupak has declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing investigation.
The allegations were made to Stillwater County Attorney’s Office, which in turn notified the commissioners as well as the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office. In a letter from Rohde to the Weed Board and the commissioners, she describes the complaint as “accusations of impropriety, if not criminal activity.”
Specifically, Rohde’s letter states that “it has been alleged, and evidence produced, that Will Patterson has been spraying private property with County equipment and possibly supplies. Such an act could rise to the elements of theft, and could be classified as a misdemeanor or felony dependent upon the type and the cost amount. To compound the matter even further, the allegations include that the private property Patterson was spraying belong to current County Commissioner Dennis Shupak.”
That evidence includes several photographs.
The letter was dated June 21, 2016. On Tuesday, June 21, Rohde reported the matter to the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office. Undersheriff Chip Kem said the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and is conducting the investigation.
It is a common practice to have outside agencies conduct investigations involving county or city employees in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict.

OTHER WEED WOES
Rohde also confirmed that the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office is looking into a report of possibly stolen equipment from the county weed department.
According to a June 30 call for service from dispatch records, the sheriff’s office received information regarding a possible theft.
Rohde said it is too early to know if the most recent issue is related at all to the current one under DCI investigation.