Former Sheriff Joey Kyle is prepping for the "end times" in prison now.
In May 2015, Christian County, Missouri Sheriff Joey Kyle was forced to resign after
accepting a federal plea deal for embezzlement and money laundering.
"This elected sheriff stole taxpayers' money and treated the county coffers as his own personal piggy bank. Sheriff Kyle took money that was supposed to be for firearms and other supplies needed by his deputies...the shameful actions of this defendant shouldn't cast a shadow on the integrity and dedication of the vast majority of honest law enforcement officers," Dickinson wrote.
Interim Sheriff Dwight McNeil took over and began looking into the shady accounting of the former sheriff and wondered—where'd the money go? After digging through inventory, Sheriff McNeil discovered
three tons of food and a variety of weapons, including explosives
stored directly beneath the courthouse:
Since becoming the interim sheriff in May, McNiel said he’s continually found surprising, unnecessary or simply wasteful purchases or acquisitions made by the department. One of his first tasks was sorting through the department’s armory — a closet directly underneath a county courtroom — where C4 was found, he said.
“That’s how I started my first day here — started with the Springfield bomb squad,” McNiel said.
Why would the sheriff be hoarding incredible amounts of food and weapons? Because he thought the "end times" were near:
In January 2014, Kyle — who pleaded guilty to embezzlement and aiding a fraud scheme in May —went to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference in Las Vegas, Weter said, and he came back talking about the apocalypse.
Lou Lapaglia, who served as presiding commissioner from 2011 to 2014, recalled Kyle’s newfound zeal.
“He was all jacked up or hyped up about what he learned or heard there,” Lapaglia said.
Weter said Kyle spoke of Israel attacking its neighbors, the U.S. invading Iran and warships in the Arabian Gulf, all of which would lead to a major war — possibly within a few weeks —and culminate in the end of times.
The three tons of food have been donated to a local non-profit.