26 September 2023
RILEY COUNTY (KSNT) – A law enforcement officer with the Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Division was fired after a Kansas Commission on Peace Officer Standards investigation determined he was “unable to account for a great deal of his time.”
Former ABC Officer Anthony Webb was found to have acted dishonestly on a number of topics and occasions. Webb provided false statements and acted with unprofessional conduct, according to the KCPOST summary of revocation.
When KSNT News reached out to Webb, he respectfully declined a request for comment.
ABC officers are certified law enforcement officers authorized to issue citations for administrative and criminal violations. ABC officers work under the Kansas Department of Revenue and are located in all 105 counties across Kansas. The state would not say where Webb worked, but he did have ties to Riley County, according to the investigation.
Duties ABC officers have include conducting investigations to ensure qualified businesses have liquor licenses, investigating possible violations that could affect public safety, providing training to liquor licensees and more, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue Liquor Enforcement website.
The KCPOST summary found Webb didn’t violate any provisions of law. However, as a result of the KCPOST case and ABC investigation, the KCPOST revoked Webb’s law enforcement officer certification on Aug. 30 based on the following incidents:
Feb 11, 2022
Webb entered information into an agency data system indicating he conducted four inspections that day. Driving data indicated his agency vehicle wasn’t driven that day.
Webb said he “brought cases to Riley County District Court” on Feb. 11. When Webb was confronted about not driving his vehicle and asked if he’d worked that day he said “I don’t know. I guess not.”
Feb. 8, 2022
ABC driving data found Webb had driven his agency vehicle to his dentist’s office. Webb initially denied using the vehicle to go to a dentist’s appointment but later admitted he had an appointment at the office where he parked the vehicle.
Feb. 17, 2022
Webb’s supervisor conducted an unscheduled inspection of Webb’s vehicle where small footprints were found on the dashboard and glovebox. Webb said the footprints were from his son. Webb later said the footprints were from a ‘confidential informant’.
Phone usage
During the ABC investigation, Webb said he only used his agency phone to conduct ABC business. Webb later told KCPOST Investigator Michael Oliver he used his personal cellphone to talk to other agents and to conduct ABC business, according to the KCPOST case.
As a whole, [Webb] was unable to account for a great deal of his time as an ABC agent working out of a home office.
Excerpt from the KCPOST case.
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