Sheriff Bruneau
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SHERIFF ROBERT BRUNEAU
I. Sheriff Robert Bruneau Refuses to Perform His Sworn Duties
Sheriff Robert Bruneau is required by common and statutory law to investigate all claims of crime committed in Iron County. Sheriff Bruneau is also custodian of public records kept by the Sheriffs Department and the law requires that, upon request, he make those public records available for inspection by the public or give specific legally sufficient reasons for refusing to do so. But Sheriff Bruneau refuses to perform these mandatory core duties of investigating crime and providing access to the public records in his files.
II. Sheriff Bruneau Refuses to Conduct Criminal Investigation
Starting on the day of his arrest, Don has been telling Sheriff Bruneau that Connie Vargovich falsely accused him as an act of revenge for him directing her to move out of his home. He gave Sheriff Bruneau names of witnesses (including an eyewitness) and told him to obtain certain phone records, which all prove Connie's story is a lie. Though it is a crime to falsely accuse someone, Sheriff Bruneau refuses to investigate this crime, refuses to contact witnesses, and does not bother obtaining the phone records, all of which prove Don has been falsely accused. Under oath at Don's trial, Iron County Sheriffs Deputy Joe Robinson even admitted that the Sheriff s Department conducted NO INVESTIGATION into anything Don told police after his arrest and prior to trial. Sheriff Bruneau's failure and refusal to investigate is an intentional breach of the mandatory duties required of a county sheriff, which duties he swore, under oath, he would perform.
III. Sheriff Bruneau Possessed Now "Missing" DNA Evidence
Sheriff Bruneau also had possession of the DNA sexual assault test kit that was taken in this case, and when Don observed this kit sitting in the Sheriffs refrigerator, its integrity seals were torn through. This indicates that the kit was already tested, but Don's demands for the test results were ignored. DA Lipske then expressed his intent to destroy the kit before trial, so Don asked his attorney to immediately have the kit tested. The kit then mysteriously disappeared. Critical DNA evidence in Sheriff Bruneau's possession was somehow 'lost', and DA Lipske has been caught lying about this. Sheriff Bruneau had allowed this evidence to be destroyed before Don could have it tested, which testing would prove someone else's DNA was present, such as Aijala's or Judge Madden's DNA.
IV. Sheriff Bruneau Concealing Public Record Crime Evidence
Don had petitioned the court for a 'John Doe' crime investigation hearing and requested that Sheriff Bruneau provide certain public records kept by him that contain evidence that crime was committed against Don, that DA Lipske and Bruneau knew Don was innocent, and that DA Lipske had knowingly used perjury against Don. Though the law requires Bruneau to provide these records, he refused to do so; and by concealing these public records, refusing to receive Don's requests for the records, and ignoring Don's ongoing demands for investigation, Sheriff Bruneau commits felony misconduct in public office. |
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V. Sheriff Bruneau Concealing Other Critical Information
Right after a postconviction hearing, Sheriff Bruneau told Don: "If you only knew what was really going on here, I would have to let you go right now." When Don asked Bruneau what was "really" going on, he said: "I can't tell you. I just can't." Prior to this, Deputy James Wicklund had told Don's brother Dennis the same thing. So this statement by Sheriff Bruneau, his ongoing refusal to investigate, `losing' critical DNA evidence in his possession, and the fact that he began marking "Refused, return to sender" on Don's mail at the very same time Judge Madden began doing this, clearly proves that Sheriff Bruneau is a knowing and willing participant in a criminal conspiracy against Don.
VI. Sheriff Bruneau Involved in a Criminal Conspiracy
Under law, circumstantial evidence is all that is needed to prove that Sheriff Bruneau is involved in a criminal conspiracy. Sheriff Bruneau had allowed critical DNA evidence to be destroyed before Don could test it and conceals the test results. He refused then and refuses now to conduct any investigation into what Don told police to investigate, which investigation will prove that Don is falsely accused. He also conceals public records, refuses to respond to requests for access to public records that prove crimes were committed against Don, and refuses to accept mail that contains lawful requests for public records and demands for a criminal investigation.
Now, after 8-years of trying to obtain the records, Bruneau claims he has destroyed them, even though Don's lawyer formally requested that he not destroy anything in this case.
VII. Sheriff Bruneau in Breach of Duties and Committing Crime
Rather than protecting citizens from crime and corruption, Sheriff Bruneau is committing felony misconduct in office, violating state and federal law, concealing and destroying public records that contain evidence of crime and corruption. He has repeatedly refused to accept or respond to Don's records requests, is engaged in criminal conspiracy, and acts to protect criminals, deprive constitutional rights, and obstruct justice in this case.
· Click here to see some requests Don mailed to Sheriff Bruneau and the letters that he returned unopened, marked "Refused, return to sender."
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VIII. Sheriff Bruneau Caught With His Hand in the Cookie Jar
In February, 2008, Sheriff Robert Bruneau was caught red-handed with his hand in the cookie jar when the Iron County Finance Committee discovered he had pocketed nearly $40,000.00 in county money he was not entitled to receive, which money is collected by the Sheriff's Department as fees for various services. This money did NOT belong to Sheriff Robert Bruneau -- it belonged to the county.
After being caught taking money not belonging to him, Sheriff Bruneau was quoted by the local newspaper as saying, "I didn't know it was illegal." Right, wink, wink! He then said, "I don't want to be involved in anything illegal." Right, wink, wink! His actions in Don's case prove exactly the opposite: that Sheriff Robert Bruneau INTENTIONALLY and KNOWINGLY involves himself in illegal activity.
A local newspaper (Ironwood Daily Globe) contacted a prior Iron County Sheriff and asked whether he knew taking this money was illegal. That prior sheriff stated that, when he was Iron County Sheriff, he knew it was illegal to take that money for his personal use. Even the prior Iron County Clerk stated it was well known to the clerk's office that it was illegal for the sheriff to take this money.
Therefore, Bruneau claiming he "didn't know it was illegal" to take this money is just not credible. Further, there is but one statute explaining what money a sheriff is entitled to, and it clearly states a sheriff is NOT entitled to the money Bruneau took. So what Bruneau now wants us to believe is that, after 11-years in office, he never once read that one and only statute pertaining to his job? Right, wink, wink!
And how effective do you think the excuse "I didn't know it was illegal to take the money" would be if YOU were caught taking $40,000.00 that you were not entitled to take from your employer? You know you would be prosecuted and go to prison. And if you tried to use Bruneau's excuse that you "didn't know it was illegal," wouldn't Sheriff Bruneau tell you that "ignorance of the law is no excuse?" So unless Iron County officials are above the law, Robert Bruneau should be prosecuted and go to prison for embezzlement, theft, and felony misconduct in public office.
Congratulations to the Iron County Committee that spoke up against Sheriff Bruneau. Now how about a committee speaking up for Don and demanding accountability of Iron County officials involved in his ongoing victimization? Or is $40,000.00 in cash more important than an innocent family man intentionally wrongfully convicted and continuously being denied justice by these same Iron County officials?
If law enforcement does not charge Sheriff Bruneau, Judge Madden, DA Lipske, and Connie Vargovich with crimes, then law enforcement is sending us a message loud and clear that these people are above the law and that it is who you know and who you are that determines whether or not you will be held accountable for committing crimes. So, are they above the law? If not, then they must be prosecuted! |
IX. Sheriff Bruneau Escapes Accountability (Again)
New information just received indicates that Sheriff Bruneau, after having been caught red-handed taking well over $40,000.00 he was not entitled to take from Iron County taxpayers, will not be prosecuted, even though he admits he illegally took that money and the law clearly states he cannot do that. DA Lipske decided that Robert Bruneau will not be held criminally responsible, so theft and misconduct in public office goes unpunished. No doubt, DA Lipske knows very well that if he were to prosecute Robert Bruneau, then Bruneau would "tell all" regarding what he knows about DA Lipske's own involvement in crime and misconduct in public office. So once again, and as always, it is who you know and who you owe that determines how you will be treated in Iron County. And this is exactly how it has always worked here.
Another kick right in the Iron County taxpayer's face occurred when it was decided that Sheriff Robert Bruneau wouldn't even be required to pay that money back to the county taxpayers! That, my friends, is simply outrageous. Nobody denies that he illegally took the money and everyone entirely agrees he was not entitled to take it, and he doesn't even have to pay it back to the people who he took this money from: You the taxpayer! Maybe he has better things to spend your money on than you do.
Now we all know for a fact that, had YOU taken $44,000.00 that you were not entitled to, there is absolutely no doubt that DA Lipske WOULD criminally prosecute you and you would also be ordered to repay the money back, with interest! But that's not how it works among good of boys. They always scratch each others' backs.
In September of 2008, Iron County official John (Jack) Prospero wrote a letter to the Ironwood Daily Globe newspaper editor to complain about Sheriff Bruneau not being required to give that money back to the taxpayers. And John had some other interesting information to share when he pointed out that Sheriff Bruneau has been illegally been handing out money (your money) to his deputies for meal expenses. But you the taxpayer is not responsible for police officer's lunch money so Sheriff Bruneau has now stopped taking that money -- But only after he was caught doing it.
John Prospero also submitted other facts and figures to the newspaper concerning costs to the taxpayer incurred by Sheriff Bruneau exceeding the Sheriff Department's yearly budget each year for the last 10-years, to the tune of just a few dollars less that ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Yee Haw! Sheriff Bruneau sure is having lots of fun with YOUR money! Soon, they will raise your taxes so they can go even deeper into your wallets and purses; after all, what use could you possibly have for your money?
As we all know, Bruneau conducted no investigation prior to or since Don's trial; indicated that he is concealing information that would free Don from prison; and refuses to investigate crimes by Connie Vargovich due to her involvement with Judge Madden. "Good of Boy Bob" has already cost you the taxpayer over $500,000.00 to keep Don in prison for non-existent crime, $1,000,000.00 in overruns on his budget, $44,000.00 in `pocket change', plus lunch money for his officers. What a scammer!