By Thomas Madison
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County’s controversial police chief, has been unapologetic in doing all he can to stem illegal immigration in his jurisdiction, a duty of the federal government, agents of which have been ordered to not enforce existing immigration law.
Now Arpaio finds himself on the defensive against the same federal government that he is trying to assist in the duties they refuse to perform themselves.
From Brian Pryor, Fox 10
PHOENIX (KSAZ) – Sheriff Joe Arpaio is being accused of withholding records. Federal agents removed hundreds of id cards and hard drives from his office, under the orders of a federal judge.
Judge Murray Snow held an emergency court hearing after learning that the Sheriff allegedly failed to hand over the items that are part of the investigation.
It’s just one of the latest allegations against Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They include allegations of racial profiling that he conducted an investigation into Judge Snow, and now his office may have kept evidence from the court.
Federal Agents seized about 1,400 identification cards, and 50 hard drives. It’s the stash of evidence that Judge Snow says Arpaio failed to hand over.
“The judge has finally put his foot down, he’s drawn a line on the sand a long time ago, and I’ll tell you what, he’s had it up to here with the Sheriff’s Office again, has refused to comply with the courts order,” said Lydia Guzman.
The ID’s and hard drives are part of the racial profiling case against the Sheriff. Deputies are accused of pocketing the ID’s during immigration busts. The hard drives pertain to Arpaio’s investigation of Judge Snow.
The judge learned that the ID cards were set to be destroyed, so he ordered the U.S. Marshals to seize the items.
“I believe they intended to destroy them so that the truth never came out about how those documents came to be, where they came from, who conducted those stops,” said Guzman.
MCSO Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan denied any wrongdoing.
“We have never been requested to turn those over until today when the court ordered us to,” said Jerry Sheridan.
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