Former Orange County sheriff responds to shoddy bookkeeping accusations

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The former Orange County sheriff is responding to accusations he left the books in such a mess that financial regulators gave up on trying to figure it out.

Vermont Auditor Doug Hoffer says former sheriff Bill Bohnyak left behind a financial mess including inaccurate bookkeeping, questionable use of bank loans and unsound management of assets.

Bohnyak says the accusations don’t paint the full picture, and he says his bookkeepers worked with a CPA and fixed mistakes, and he says the spending in question can be explained.

“During my 16 years as sheriff, I have never missed a payroll and have always made sure our deputies had the necessary equipment they needed to keep safe,” Bohnyak said.

The auditor said it’s unlikely the allegations will result in any civil or criminal charges.

Related Stories:

Former Orange County sheriff faces scrutiny over shoddy accounting

Orange County sheriff says staffing crisis jeopardizes department

Do Vermont sheriffs need more oversight? What a new bill would change

Ex-Vt. sheriff’s deputy sentenced for road rage shooting

Lawsuit targets Vt. sheriff’s dept., off-duty deputy convicted of road rage

Orange County town confronts police coverage concerns

Orange County sheriff blames budget cuts for end of overnight patrols

Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.