Cops in Tiny Iowa Town Charged With Stalking Women and Tasering Party Guests

They’re accused of stalking and snooping, embezzling and evidence tampering, sextortion and falsifying documents, stealing from a fire department and repeatedly using a Taser on party guests. They’re accused of perjury, data breaches, and obstructing prosecution. They’re accused of illegal vacationing, misappropriating dental funds, and tax evasion.

They’re a gaggle of former officials from Armstrong, Iowa, where they’ve racked up more than 100 combined criminal charges.

Armstrong, located on the state’s northern border, has a population of approximately 875. But a clique of local officials—including the town’s former mayor, his son-in-law (the town’s former police chief), and a local ex-cop—are accused of single-handedly sending the tiny enclave’s crime rate sky-high. Together, they’ve been charged with more than 100 counts, ranging from assault to embezzlement. That’s not even counting another dozen charges facing an alleged accomplice cop in a nearby town.

Two city clerks have pleaded guilty in the case, with the remainder pleading not guilty.

Most of the allegations are new this month, when former Armstrong police officer Benjamin Scheevel was hit with 84 charges. Those charges include multiple counts of perjury, obstructing an investigation, stalking (including stalking with a dangerous weapon), unauthorized access and dissemination of police data, assault with a dangerous weapon, tax evasion, and theft.

Those allegations span two police departments: Armstrong, where Scheevel was most recently employed, and the nearby town of Estherville, where Scheevel previously worked as a cop.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cops-in-tiny-town-of-armstrong-iowa-charged-with-stalking-women-and-tasering-party-guests?ref=home