DCI completed an investigation into Tama County Jail over sexual misconduct allegation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Our KCRG-TV9 i9 Investigative Team learned the Iowa Divison of Criminal Investigation has completed an investigation into the Tama County Jail after it received an accusation of sexual misconduct by a county employee.

Ashlee Kieler, who is a spokesperson for the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, said the office will make a decision to pursue charges related to the investigation soon. A spokesperson for the DCI said it couldn’t comment any further about the investigation until the attorney general’s decision, but said the employee no longer works for the county.

Dennis Kucera (R), who is the Tama County Sheriff and runs the county jail, said on the phone with i9 that an inmate is involved but couldn’t give us any more information. He said in an email he won’t comment on the investigation further because it would be a conflict of interest.

“It would be a conflict for me to investigate and interfere with DCI investigation within the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Kucera said.

The Tama County Sheriff’s Office declined to fulfill our i9 Team’s open records requests for resignations at the county jail in 2022 citing an ongoing investigation by a law enforcement authority, which would seriously jeopardize the investigation if released.

Our KCRG-TV9 I9 Investigative Team found the jail refused to give inmates a COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021. Then, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office said it didn’t have medical staff on-site to give out vaccines.

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