NC tells county to monitor sheriff’s spending

SYLVA, N.C. — North Carolina’s treasurer’s office says a sheriff who has given more than $10,000 in drug money to baseball teams, booster clubs and a high school chorus should have more spending supervision.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Thursday that a state agency official says Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe shouldn’t be able to spend without oversight.

Ashe says he wanted to keep children from using drugs by giving them something constructive to do. County audits found no wrongdoing.

Drugs and moonshine taken during investigations are taxed and police frequently take property such as real estate and vehicles to pay the tax.

The attorney general’s office tells sheriffs the drug tax money is intended to help law enforcement deter and investigate crimes.

Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times

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