Sheriff sues five former deputies

MALONE — The Franklin County sheriff has filed suit in County Court against five former deputies, including four who left for the Malone Village Police Department, seeking repayment for the cost of their training.

On Thursday, five complaints were filed in the Franklin County clerk's office by Sheriff John D. Pelkey seeking sums ranging from $2,965 to $10,192 from former sheriff's deputies Ross LaMore, William Martin III, Brian Miller, Melissa Cross and Michael R. Crawford.

"The deputies sign an agreement when we hire them," Sheriff Pelkey said. "If they stay at least three years, they don't owe us a dime. If they leave before that, they have to pay back part of the cost of their training."

Former deputies LaMore, Martin, Miller and Crawford left the sheriff's department for the Malone Village Police Department. Mr. LaMore has since moved on to federal law enforcement.

Sheriff Pelkey said Ms. Cross left the county department voluntarily, but she is not currently employed in law enforcement.

When contacted Wednesday evening, officers Miller and Martin, as well as Ms. Cross, declined to comment. Telephone numbers for officers LaMore and Crawford are not listed.

According to the language of the agreement signed by the five former deputies, the employee must pay back 100 percent of the cost of training if he or she leaves within the first year of employment with the department; 50 percent if he or she leaves within the second year, and 25 percent if he or she leaves within the third year.

The contract requires such repayment from any employee who voluntarily leaves the department.

"We started using this agreement six or seven years ago," Sheriff Pelkey said. "We were losing too much staff — people we were training — to other agencies. It's not fair that the county foots the bill for training officers for other agencies."

All of the former deputies, with the exception of Mr. LaMore, have paid at least a portion of their balances, and the village of Malone paid the county from $2,200 to $2,750 on behalf of the officers it hired.

From each of the former deputies, the sheriff's department is seeking the money owed, plus unspecified amounts in interest, and any "other and further relief" deemed proper by the courts.

The suit was filed by Franklin County Attorney Jonathan J. Miller.