GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Formal charges have now been filed against a former Brown County Sheriff’s deputy and D.A.R.E. volunteer for allegedly stealing funds from the program.
Late Thursday afternoon, Brown County District Attorney David Lasee filed those criminal charges.
Kevin Vanden Heuvel is charged with 4 felonies, including two counts of theft by an employee and two counts of misconduct in office.
A former D.A.R.E. volunteer, Early Fuller of Green Bay, is also facing charges. Fuller is facing charges of party to the crime of theft and obstructing an officer.
Vanden Heuvel was the lead officer of the Brown County D.A.R.E. program for many years, affectionately known as “Officer Van.”
For over a decade, members of the sheriff’s department and about 50 volunteers helped park cars near Lambeau Field on game days. The money raised parking cars is supposed to go into a special D.A.R.E. account to pay for officer salaries and supplies.
Both Vanden Heuvel and Fuller are accused of stealing money while helping to park those vehicles.
Last October, Brown County Sheriff John Gossage said his agency found that someone had been handing out fake parking passes and taking money meant for the program.
Gossage says Vanden Heuvel was placed on administrative suspension on October 6, 2015. Vanden Heuvel resigned two days later.
Then at a press conference in May, Captain Jeff Sanborn said Vanden Heuvel and a then un-named volunteer allegedly handed out fake parking passes to campers who arrived the day before Packers games and kept some of the money.
Since it was mostly cash, investigators said they had a difficult time finding out how much money was stolen.
(Additional reporting from FOX 11).
