http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news...lby-brown.html

A Brown County deputy assigned to a regional drug task force is on leave pending a state investigation into allegations of misconduct with a woman who claims to be a confidential informant for him.
Bethany Selby, 19, of Mount Sterling said in an emergency order of protection filed Thursday in Brown County Circuit Court that she feared Deputy Justin Oliver might harm her or himself if she came forward about his actions.
Selby claims that during the five months she has been working as a confidential informant with the West Central Task Force, she and the deputy had a dating relationship and that they engaged in sexual acts in his police car and at his Mount Sterling residence. She also accused Oliver of pressuring her to set up a drug buy with a man she knew was not dealing drugs.
The order of protection was granted by Pike County Circuit Judge Michael Roseberry. Oliver was not present at the hearing.
Selby’s attorney, Jesse Gilsdorf, said that because there were no Brown County judges available Thursday they went to Pike County, which is the same judicial circuit.
Sheriff Tom Snowden said he learned of the allegations for the first time after they were presented in court. The sheriff placed Oliver on administrative leave with pay and the investigation was turned over to Illinois State Police. The state agency was closed Friday because of the state holiday.
Snowden declined to say whether Oliver denied the allegations when told he was being placed on administrative leave.
“I will say that these allegations are out of character for deputy Oliver,” Snowden said.
Oliver, who does not a have a listed telephone number, was unavailable Friday for comment.
Oliver will remain on paid leave “until we can validate or invalidate these allegations,” Snowden said.
Oliver has been employed with the sheriff’s department for four years and assigned for about two years to work full-time with the drug task force.
Emergency order of protections are civil proceedings, do not require proof the acts occurred and can be granted without both parties being present at the hearing.
In her request for the order, Selby contends Oliver “keeps a bullet in his car in his dashboard” and “has threatened to shoot himself with the bullet if I should ever tell anyone about our activities.”
Selby said she had a relationship with the deputy for about five months
“He has told me that if I told anyone about our relationship he would lose all of his cases and would lose his job,” she said in the court document. “This badly frightened me.”
The woman also accused Oliver of directing her to go to a man’s residence to try to buy drugs even though she told him the man was not dealing. Oliver “directed me to set up [the man] so that he could be arrested for drug dealing,” she said in court documents.
Both Snowden and Selby’s attorney declined to say how she became an informant. Gilsdorf declined to say what prompted her to seek the order of protection.
Selby has a driving under the influence case pending in Brown County and also has a previous arrest on a charge of possession of cannabis.
The temporary order could be made permanent at a hearing March 4 in Brown County Circuit Court.

http://www.wgem.com/global/story.asp?s=11978656

MT. STERLING, Ill. (WGEM) -- A Brown County Deputy Sheriff is off the job while State Police investigate allegations of misconduct.

Brown County Sheriff Tom Snowden tells WGEM News that Deputy Justin Oliver is on paid leave for now.

Oliver is also a member of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force.

Court documents show Oliver is accused of having sex in his police car with a confidential source for the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force.

Snowden says the allegations received are "totally out of character" for Oliver. Snowden would not comment any further.

Oliver is a four-year veteran of the department.