More than 200 Montgomery County cops, prison guards and sheriff’s deputies who bought handguns and sniper rifles that authorities say were fraudulently subsidized by taxpayer money aren’t being asked to give them up.
The county is suing a police training company that authorities said ripped off taxpayers by more than $400,000 when it sold the discounted weapons.
County Attorney Marc Hansen said if the county gets its money back from the training company, it won’t need to recover the guns because taxpayers will be made whole.
“We’re only asking for the money back,” Hansen said.
He declined to comment on what the county would do if it lost its lawsuit against the company.
That doesn’t sit well with Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Rockville/Gaithersburg, who said he doesn’t think any county employee should stand to gain from an abuse of a county program.
“It bothers me because tax dollars were misused here,” he said, adding that he doesn’t know what the proper remedy should be.
The county is also suing the officer, Det. Aaron Bailey, who ran the training company, Applied Sciences for Public Safety. The county says Bailey recruited public safety officials to take his courses with promises that they could buy Glock handguns and sniper rifles for a fraction of their regular prices. The courses, which typically cost between $1,400 and $1,600, were paid entirely by the county.
Bailey’s attorney did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Hansen said that the county doesn’t plan on punishing any police officers who took classes with Applied Sciences while on duty, but will try to recoup the wages earned by reducing the officers’ paid leave.
The county has refused repeated requests from The Examiner to release the names of county employees who used county money to take Bailey’s classes, saying those records are part of an employee’s personnel record that can’t be disclosed to the public.
The Examiner first reported on Nov. 17 that county officials were investigating hundreds of county employees who may have taken courses through a tuition assistance program while on duty. Employees have to sign a form acknowledging that they won’t take courses through the tuition program while on the clock.
County officials now say more than 100 police officers may have taken courses with Applied Sciences while on duty.
