GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - We're learning more about the investigation into the embezzling of funds from Brown County's DARE program.
During a press conference Friday, Brown County Sheriff John Gossage expressed his feelings publicly for the first time.
"Betrayal, disappointment, anger, victimization, disbelief. Just a couple words to describe how I felt when Kevin Vanden Heuvel admitted to embezzling cash from the DARE parking funds," Gossage said.
Vanden Heuvel, who for years was the face of the DARE program, was placed on administrative suspension back in October as part of the department's investigation. Two days later, Vanden Heuvel resigned.
"I did not accept it," said Gossage. "I couldn't in good conscience accept a resignation or retirement from him because I knew there would be pending criminal charges based upon his admissions."
It all stemmed from the Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings game on Thursday night October 2. For over a decade, volunteers and sheriff's department employees helped park cars at the old Kmart parking lot on Packers game day.
Increasingly, more and more campers or RV-style, larger vehicles have been attending. Many arriving the night before a game.
"We select two people, one being Officer Vanden Heuvel, one being a reputable drug and alcohol abuse counselor, the night before to go out to the Packer parking lot when the campers are there, to not only to collect the money but get them parked in a location that we can manage," explains Capt. Jeff Sanborn, who added this was a simpler way to sell the parking passes and create room for regular cars and trucks to park on game day.
That Thursday, a man who tailgated with friends ahead of the game and purchased a $20 pass decided he didn't want to stay. He went up to a long-time parking attendant.
"He says here, I'd like to turn this back in to your DARE program to make another donation," says Sanborn. "She looks at that pass, and it's not on the same card stock that all of our passes that we've used for years is on. It's on a flimsy piece of paper, same color and design."
Investigators say the passes would be tough to duplicate because they change color each game, are printed just before the game, plus are handled by only a few county employees.
The next day, investigators went back out to the DARE parking lot to check on the passes sold to campers. Because they're larger, it costs $20 to get into the lot plus an additional $20 for each parking space a camper takes up. Those driving the camper are supposed to receive a parking pass for each $20 spent.
“Say its $100, you took up four spots plus $20 to get in the lot, that’s $100,” said Sanborn. “They should have got five passes for that $100. They were given one pass. That means $80 is missing from that one camper. It happened over and over and over as we talked to the campers.”
Investigators add that Vanden Heuvel and his assistant admitted to pocketing cash by handing out those extra, flimsy, parking passes while not providing campers with enough passes.
“With all the different variables in place with our amounts being different weekly and with our accounting for the cards, we never in our wildest dreams thought two people that you entrust with this would go bad together and get into a conspiracy for something like this,” said Sanborn.
Authorities say a third person, an unnamed former county employee, would print off 52 extra parking passes on that flimsy paper for a while. All told, it would equal more than $1,000 that could be made for one game.
Sheriff John Gossage says this scheme has been taking place at least for the past 4 years. Why would Vanden Heuvel do this??
"He did mention he felt entitled numerous times," says Sanborn. "He felt entitled for what he has done for the DARE program over the years."
Formal charges have not been filed, but the Brown County Sheriff's Department has referred charges to the district attorney's office against the 3 suspects for theft. The investigation is ongoing and charges could be filed in the next several weeks.
As for the future of the DARE program in Brown County?
“I don’t want everybody lumped into this DARE program thinking that everybody was corrupt. Kevin was the corrupt one. I want to make that well known. That he was the one who made an independent decision to take these funds,” said Gossage.
Gossage says two officers are currently assigned to the DARE program, and they continue to speak at schools across Brown County about drug and alcohol abuse.
The department says they will continue to utilize many of the same volunteers and others to help park cars for Green Bay Packers games this fall in order to continue raising money for the program.