CARROLL, Iowa (AP) – A newspaper investigation shows two Carroll County Sheriff’s employees used county equipment and other resources to promote and conduct gun classes from which they collected tens of thousands of dollars. The Carroll Daily Times Herald reports Deputy Tom Fransen and Administrative Assistant Shanna Balukoff have held the classes since December 2010 and charged $50 per person. Those who attend the classes get a certificate they can use to obtain a permit from the sheriff’s office to openly carry a firearm.

The county received none of the money from the classes, even though the certificates say “Sponsored by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.” State law bans public employees from using public resources for personal gain, and the state auditor’s office has begun an investigation.