Search warrant records missing?

NORWALK — Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin's office says it doesn't have records related to a search warrant deputies conducted in rural Huron County earlier this year. It's probably a good thing then that a photo of the property deputies took is posted at one of the sheriff's Facebook pages. Deputies executed the search warrant at a home on Young Road in Bellevue April 17, according to the post. "A large amount of Methamphetamine, seven firearms and $7,780 in U.S. currency was seized," the post states. It's unknown why the sheriff's office has no official records of the search warrant or a court filed inventory of what was taken from the property. The Register received information from a reliable source that some property was either not properly documented in the inventory or was otherwise missing. Corbin has refused to provide any information about that, or say if any investigation to determine if property is missing is being conducted. Corbin also has refused to say if any deputies are under any sort of suspension or work restrictions since the warrant was executed, or provide public records related to that. The state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation did confirm that it is investigating a sheriff's office employee for allegedly fraudulently claiming time worked, but it's provided no information about the circumstances surrounding that complaint. Both the sheriff's office and the bureau are improperly withholding public records related to the investigation. The sheriff's office responded to a public records request for the search warrant inventory stating that it had no such records. The Facebook post suggests otherwise. Corbin's management of public records has been a longstanding issue this year, and previously. Other criminal complaints were never filed, are either being withheld improperly, are missing or were destroyed. Corbin has refused to respond to some records requests for specific personnel records, incident reports and other records requests. State law requires law enforcement agencies to maintain records and make records available to members of the public upon request. With few exceptions, the records are required to be released under the state's Public Records Act. Corbin has complained that news coverage of the sheriff's office has been sensationalized and inaccurate, but he hasn't pointed out any specific areas in the reporting to which he objects. Corbin has not asked for any corrections. There's nothing in the Act that recognizes complaints like that as lawful reasons to withhold public records. When deputies executed the search warrant they arrested a 34-year-old man, according to the sheriff's Facebook post, on numerous active felony warrants that include charges from a high-speed pursuit that occurred earlier that day, as well as charges from several other investigations. The Register made a records request to the sheriff for the arrest report Friday morning.