Mississippi County Judge Randy Carney confirmed to the CN Tuesday that he has suspended two employees of the county Road Department: Supervisor Tony Stone and his wife, Andrea Stone.
“I have put some people on suspension but I have not terminated them at this point,” Carney said. “It started with Tony Stone, his wife Andrea. Right now that is all.”
Carney also said, “Right now I understand that the Sheriff’s Department is going to close their investigation and is going to meet with the prosecuting attorney on Friday. And then after that, then I will meet with the prosecutor and get his advice and see what he thinks that we need to do.”
When asked to comment on the investigation, Carney said, “The investigation…I don’t know what they are going to find or what they have found, but I know that we are going to do whatever the right thing is to do no matter how painful it is. I would hate to lose Tony Stone; he is such a good guy and does a good job. We are going to be fair and open-minded, but at the same time we are going to do the right thing. That is what we are going to do.”
Carney said the investigation surrounds the off-site sale of copper and scrap metal.
“Well, you know there was a question about some copper and some scrap metal being sold off-site. So, that is all I know and that is what the sheriff’s deputies have told me it is that is what they are investigating — the sale of copper and scrap metal.”
Tony Stone told the CN on May 26 that Carney had ordered the demolition work to be done and when asked whether or not the county was collecting copper, wire and scrap metal from the demolition site to sell, Stone answered, “We keep it in a pile and sell to scrap iron for the Road Department, that is how we get back some of the gas.” But Stone denied that any of the proceeds were kept for personal use.