Leaders of a small town in Iowa, including the current mayor and chief of police, are facing nearly two dozen charges following a multi-year investigation into alleged violations.
The years-long investigation into Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum, Craig Merrill, city clerk Tracie Lang and former city clerk Connie Thackery found suspects deployed a Taser against a citizen in exchange for cash, offering fraudulent public records, city funds misappropriated and ledgers falsified the cover-up and engaged in other crimes, authorities said Friday.
It was not clear on Saturday how much money was taken out of the city, with about 945 people and about 250 kilometers northwest of Des Moines.
According to the sheriff of Emmet County, one of the agencies that led the investigation after irregularities in Armstrong came to light in early 2017, Buum, Merrill, Lang and Thackery were charged with 21 counts of felony criminal mischief.
The sheriff against Buum, Merrill and Thackery is charged with continuing criminal activity, the sheriff said. According to officials, Lang is a top-level fraudulent practice.
Three suspects, Buum, Lang and Thackery, were in custody Friday, the sheriff said. Merrill’s status was unclear.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office, which will pursue the case at the request of the local provincial attorney due to a possible conflict of interest, could not be immediately reached by phone or email on Saturday to explain whether the suspects had a lawyer did not obtain or enroll a plea.
