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Internal report describes criminal accusations against the former Minot police officer

Minot-a investigative report by the city of Minot, a hard light throws on the former Minot police LT. Matt McLeod and reveals a pattern of dishonesty, violations of the policy of the department and inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

The report that I received from an Open Records request was from Yvette Heintzelman from the law firm of Clark Hill and Thomas Kotlowski from Clarity One Solutions, based in Chicago, and the expression of the dispute at the Nichole-Justiz-Study, at which the murder student 2007-murder of the 2007 murder, which is accused of murder of murder-state murder murder, is accused, with the edition of murder in which the 2007 murder of the 2007 murder was adapted in 2007, with the 2007 murder of the 2007 murder in which 2007 was accused in Chic.

His release takes place after McLeod died of Minot on the property of the police in January. The investigation was initiated in December 2024 with the final report on March 6th.

“The purpose of this report is to carry out the examination that should be carried out if Chief (John) was informed about the criminal investigation of the behavior of Lieutenant McLeod to determine whether rules or guidelines were violated and the potential effects on the city and the department,” says the report.

Klug resigned on January 6th in the middle of controversy about his treatment of the department after a separate examination by Clark Hill.

Abuse and assault accusations

The report describes allegations from Ada County, Idaho, and Butte-Silver Bow County, Montana, where McLeod supposedly sexually attacked a minor.

The alleged behavior in Montana contained sexual contact when the victim was about 4 years old. The allegations of sexual contact were in Idaho when the victim was about 10 years old.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation supported both authorities outside the state in their investigations and demonstrated McLeod, who failed, a polygraph test. McLeod rejected the knowledge in his interview with Clark Hill and said that he was informed that polygraphs were only “88%”. The deputy city administration Corbin Dickerson, who previously worked as a consultant for special victims, checked the police reports and was obtained by McLeod's failed polygraph.

In the end, no charges were submitted in both jurisdiction, with both cases remaining “inactive” until additional evidence was exposed.

The Minot police authority did not carry out its own investigation when wise was informed about the criminal investigation.

Detective Sgt. Anthony Jurenic from the Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff's office, which was interviewed as part of the internal investigation, described the case of Montana due to lack of evidence of lack of evidence and said she said she said she said. He admitted that McLeod's failure to pass the polygraph “disturbed” him and expressed his belief that “children generally do not invent things like that”.

“Everything he did,” said Jurenic, but he felt that he had sufficient evidence of formal charges. He also commented on frustrated that a police officer could commit such a crime and escape the accountability.

The Detective Shannon Garza, Detective by Ada County, who previously had interactions with the victim as a school resource representative, confirmed Clark Hill that the dismissal of misuse of several consultants. She noticed McLeod's attempt to discredit the victim by wrongly claiming that the consultants had not reported the disclosures.

Garza found it “strange” that McLeod claimed that he was never alone with the victim and that he was repeated his aversion to her. She also found his proposal to see the victim's Tikok account suspiciously. Garza said she “believed” the victim and “convinced” that she had been sexually attacked.

The Minot Police Authority in the 515 Second Ave. SW on March 18, 2025.

Rob Port / Forum News Service

She said that she had a conversation with wise at the case that Klug initiated and concentrated exclusively on the timeline of her investigation without asking a review or questions of content.

The police captain of Minot, Dale Plessas, who is McLeod's brother-in-law and is currently acting as the reigning head of the Minot Police Department, was also interviewed for the Clark Hill report. He confirmed that McLeod “didn't like” the alleged victim and believed that she could be “extremely common”.

He also explained that he knew that the victim was untrue and suggested that he had accused McLeod because she didn't like him or protected him a closer family member, even though Plessas also admitted that he was checking for his own children after the allegations against McLeod.

Klug told Clark Hill's investigators that he was first informed by the BCI and then McLeod himself about the investigation according to McLeod. He said he put McLeod on administrative leave to protect the public and image of the department, even though he ultimately returned to the active service. While Klug initially “a little sick” when he heard the allegations, he said that McLeod was really disturbed, not with an “Oh, they have me on the moment”, but with the feeling that “this is ridiculous and that will tear me apart”.

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Klug said that he had brief talks with the detectives in Montana and Idaho, but did not carry out the case thoroughly. He was based on the police reports to make his decision about McLeod's fate and believed that the information in them was “well covered”. He admitted not to carry out separate interviews with McLeod or to complete a report in which an internal investigation was documented.

The allegations of Idaho and Montana, which came to light again during the examination of clever use with the department, were not the only clouds around McLeod. Klug admitted that the repeated complaints against McLeod, including previous claims and affairs, had “negatively influenced the department”.

According to the Clark Hill report, BCI agents were surprised that McLeod was still part of the department.

“Untruth in several cases”

McLeod denied the accusations for sexual assault in an interview with Clark Hill and claimed that he was never alone with the victim, but admitted that he had business, and admitted that the instructions of a colleague to lie about her, violated the rules of the department.

The investigation revealed an inappropriate relationship between McLeod and a subordinate SGT. Carem Asham in the Minot Police Department. Text messages revealed McLeod, the romantic feelings, the desire for physical intimacy and the exchange of information that he should not have as a superior. McLeod also made a copy of an internal report to the subordinate and led it to how to delete it

The subordinate recognized McLeod's feelings for her, but explained that she did not replace her. She admitted that her friendship crossed a line in a physical relationship about a year or two earlier, which was initiated by McLeod and lasted a few months and took place in the police department. She explained that she did not feel that McLeod's actions were sexual harassment at that time. “I assume it could be interpreted like this” and added: “Yes.

A bald white man in a police uniform grins in a portrait.

Former Minot police chief John Klug

Contributed / city Minot

McLeod pursued the inappropriate relationship with his subordinate with his work type. The report also showed that McLeod had accessed “adult” websites on his work computer.

The report came to the conclusion that McLeod showed untruth several times, violated numerous guidelines of the police authority and the city of minot rules for behavioral standards, supervisory duties, laws, rules and commands, performance, behavior, improper disclosure, non -authorized access/discussion as well as discriminatory nuisance.

The investigation showed that McLeod's participation in criminal investigations in connection with previous allegations and matters “” its effectiveness as a superior and police officer undermine “. In the report, a “pattern of sexual misconduct” was emphasized and McLeod's “solid moral character” was questioned. It also came to the conclusion that the department was operated under the premise that “personal lies are acceptable”, which is problematic in view of its role in criminal proceedings.

The report contained several recommendations for the city of Minot, including the assumption of a work relationship for the supervision of the subjects of the police, comprehensive training on ethics and brady obligations that include philosophy in the head of the police selection process, taking over a clear discipline procedure, an anti-nor-neepotiz guideline, the review of the anti-coats.

The question of violations of Brady is now a topic in the trial against Nichole Rice.

The law obliges law enforcement authorities to keep so -called Giglio or Brady lists. The names come from the decisions of the Supreme Court of the US Court -Giglio against the United States and Brady against Maryland -who have to regulate the defense public prosecutor. The lists should consist of officers who are involved in dishonesty or misconduct that can be used to complain about their certificate as witnesses.

Rice's lawyer, Richard Sand, has submitted an application for dismissal to dismiss the state to disclose the investigation of McLeod, which affects Asham's behavior based on Asham's behavior.

The registration of Sand argues that Asham is “party to delete files and e -mails”.

“This is extremely important,” said Sand's submission when Asham “played a decisive role in this public prosecutor”.

Sand's application was submitted to the court on March 18. The procedure takes place in Grand Forks County.