GREAT FALLS – Luke Strommen, the Valley County Undersheriff, has been placed on paid administrative leave since June.
Strommen is currently being investigated for an incident that happened four years ago.
In a press release, Sheriff Veron Buerkle said the investigation is being conducted by the Division of Criminal Investigation of the Montana Department of Justice.
The incident in question happened under the leadership of Sheriff Glen Meier, who retired early in 2017.
The details of the investigation are not being released by the Sheriff’s Office or DCI, but in a statement released June 18, Sheriff Vernon Buerkle said, “This action is the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by investigators from the Montana Department of Justice for an incident which occurred approximately four years ago.”
Strommen is currently running against Joe Horn for Sheriff of Valley County.
A spokesman for the Montana Department of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that the DCI is investigating the Valley County Undersheriff for allegations of official misconduct; the DCI involvement came at the request of the Sheriff.
The spokesman said that when the investigation is complete, prosecutors in the state Attorney General’s Office will review the case file and make a determination on next steps
We have tried to contact Strommen for comment but have not heard back.
Reporting by Margaret DeMarco for MTN News
