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Suspended Oak Hill police officer Michael Ihnken's 12-year career has come full circle with allegations of stealing and lying, now topped by a shocking revelation that he secretly went to the media about a traffic stop involving one of Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson's deputies with the intention of trying to damage the sheriff's reputation because of a personal "grudge." That Ihnken has weathered two State Attorney investigations and a failed request from his chief for termination, is nearly as shocking to fellow cops and politicians alike who describe him as "morally corrupt" and a "cancer."
OAK HILL -- When suspended Oak Hill police officer Michael Ihnken left an emotional city commission meeting last month with his job intact after Police Chief Diane Young was unable to convince her city elders to fire him, the first thing he did was go on camera with NSBNews.Net and bash her, saying she was not qualified to lead the force.
Instead, the mayor asked the chief to resign, which she didn't. And in the ensuing days, the mayor ordered the chief to make arrangements for Ihnken to get re-certified with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement so that he could eventually return to active duty, even with an internal affairs investigation still hanging over his head and her's as well.
But a dirty little secret Ihnken had kept under wraps for more than two years and uncovered by NSBNews.Net in a public records this week with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office could be the final straw that breaks Ihnken's back in a career beset by accusations of stealing, lying and manipulating of co-workers, bosses and the politicians alike.
In a Nov. 25, 2008, letter signed by Ihnken, he confesses to Sheriff Ben Johnson that he "willfully and maliciously" contacted Central Florida print and TV media about a traffic stop involving an off-duty deputy allowed to be driven home by one of his colleagues called to the scene by the officer who opted not to determine further if arrest was warranted on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Ihnken's mission in trying to tarnish the sheriff's reputation was motivated by one thing only: In his own words, a "grudge." Not because he wanted to expose a wrong with a questionable traffic stop. Instead it was pay back and Ihnken made no bones about it. Ihnken was rebuffed by the sheriff years earlier when he met with him to "clear" his name after abruptly resigning as a part-time reserve deputy. Had he not quit, Ihnken was informed by an administrator with then-Sheriff Bob Vogel that an internal affairs investigation found him guilty of stealing money from a suspect while transporting him to jail and lying about it.
By no means now is Ihnken a shoe-in like he led others to believe after the 3-2 city commission vote on Jan. 24, led by the mayor that spared him from being fired outright that night with the chief instead finding herself up against the ropes. Instead, Ihnken will be terminated Monday, if the mayor, who previously gave him the benefit of the doubt, has her way. "I am horrified! Absolutely horrified,"
Mayor Darla Lauer told NSBNews.Net on Friday, her voice cracking with emotion. "This is unconscionable. I want him gone and I want the chief gone, too. I've had enough. This is too much turmoil and embarrassment and we need to move forward.This is just so over the top and we need to act now."
The commission meets 6 p.m. Monday at Oak Hill City Hall. Lauer stopped short of saying whether she'll push the commission for Young's ouster that night, instead reiterating that she'll at least press on with her demand that she step down voluntarily.
Young declined comment, saying she's just doing her best to stay out of the line of fire.
Ihnken initially did not return repeated messages to NSBNews.Net for comment on the Johnson letter, but did finally answer questioned posed to him during the weekend. He blamed Johnson for his brother's transfer, writing in part: "Sheriff Johnson (or his designee's) screwed my brother over because they were PISSED about me going to the media with the information on that deputy sliding on the DUI, so since they could do nothing to me, they screwed with my brother instead. The letter was me accepting responsibility for what I did and trying to get them to leave my brother alone, as he was not involved in it."
Editor's note: You can read Ihnken's entire responses to NSBNews.Net's questions at the end of this story.
Lauer was incensed when she learned through NSBNews.Net of Ihnken going behind the sheriff's back and using the media for his own petty means.
Ironically, the embattled police chief, who the mayor never wanted from Day 1 a year ago, when she was elevated to top cop despite an admission of snorting cocaine some 100 times in the 1980s, wanted Ihnken fired because he failed to keep his firearms certification in good standing.
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Volusia County Sheriff Ben JohnsonThis led to Oak Hill turning to Sheriff Johnson to run its police department for 24 hours while the officers were properly certified by his agency.
"We owe Sheriff Ben Johnson an apology," Lauer said. "I'm not going to continue this any more with Ihnken. He is not a certified police officer. His actions against our sheriff are unconscionable. He will no longer be an officer with this city if I have anything to say about it, but I am only one vote.
Mr. Ihnken doesn't meet the minimal standards of good moral character.This city needs to move forward without the malicious intent of Mr. Ihnken..Enough's enough. I'm done. " Lauer added she was "offended for Sheriff Johnson and I'm offended for me because this is my officer, adding, she's "If I fall on my sword then so be it, but enough is enough.
For several weeks, print and TV media ran with the story of favoritism with police taking care of of their own. The deputy and officer were disciplined by their respective agencies and Matt Ihnken was transferred to a West Volusia. The sheriff declined comment with NSBNews.Net through his agency spokesman.
The only reason why Ihnken said he came clean with the sheriff was because he didn't want his brother in trouble when he asked for asking him to get information on the stop so he could get dirt on the county's chief law enforcer whom he felt hadn't given him a fair shake year's earlier. The mayor isn't the only Oak Hill official speaking out as Ihnken's support continues to erode.
Former Mayor Jeff Bracey, the lone member of the Personnel Board to vote against recommending termination last month to the commission, said Ihnken has worn out his welcome. "This city really needs to clean up the corruption," Bracey said. "With what Ihnken did to the sheriff -- I'll be the first one at the meeting Monday demanding they get rid of Ihnken for good. We need to sweep out the trash now before something even worse happens.
" Oak Hill needs to be clear about its priorities and its reputation Bracey said, especially if the city opts to do away with its police force, which he is now favoring in favor of the Sheriff's Office.
Ironically, Johnson and his personnel made a presentation on what his agency could provide should Oak Hill disband its force. Making a counter presentation were then-Police Chief Guy Grasso and of all people, Ihnken.
"Unbelievable," Lauer said. "Ihnken was actually doing a power point with the Sheriff he maliciously tried to hurt. Maybe we should have gone with the sheriff back then. We just weren't ready."
Robert Walker, acting police chief for two months while Grasso was out with a neck injury, said of Ihnken: "
Walker said Ihnken is "nothing more than a cancer was left unchecked early on and to this day, an even bigger cancer that threatens to destroy the entire agency." Walker added: Ihnken denies everything. His favorite saying is always 'prove it''. To hear him tell it, he is the most conspired against man on the planet. Everyone from Sheriff Ben Johnson to Guy Grasso to the Personnel Board to Diane Young has conspired against him. He is always yelling 'set up'. How do you set up an innocent man ? And why would you want to in the first place ?"
NSBNews.Net reached out to Ihnken on Facebook to answer questions related to the Johnson letter and his current situation. It is presented here. Some of the language is raw and misspellings have not been fixed.
Henry Frederick February 12 at 7:41pm
Of course I have bills, but to say hey, you have debt, you must be a dirty cop is sickening and poor judgement. You should take a look at my ENTIRE IA report from VCSO, especially the receipt from the jail where the right amount of money was booked into their property, but the wrong amount was given back to the prisoner when he was released. I am NOT a thief, I am not corrupt, and I am sick and tired of half baked attempts to try to screw me over.
Finally, this rehiring process is ludicrious. I was on adminstrative leave, and I was not given the opportunity to requalify when the rest of the agency did. Now we get to play this game with background checks, etc and its absolutely ridiculous. If I was in the military overseas, you think when I came back they would make my go through a hiring process all over again? Nope, this is another game. I think you confuse a certificate not being valid with someone showing seperated in ATMS due to not qualifying with a duty weapon. My certificate is good until 2014.
Let me say one more thing: You said I was rejected by 6-7 police agencies after "being fired from corrections and seperated from VCSO" - once again, I was not fired by corrections, I resigned to take the job with VCSO, then ended up resigning from VCSO after being found guilty of violating policies that did not and do not exist to this day. Why do you suppose no one would hire me? You think maybe a phone call here, or there, hey don't hire that guy, may have happened? I know for a fact it happened at Daytona PD when I applied there in 1998, and Deland PD as well as both background investigators told me about the calls. Can I prove it? Nope, but if you think Volusia County is not under the good old boy system still today, you are crazy.