IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol is conducting an internal investigation into a manager who received $40,000 in benefits to relocate to western Iowa but for tax purposes recently claimed a newly built house 120 miles away as his residence. The investigation is looking into whether Lt. Joel Ehler is in compliance with its residency policy and whether the moving expenses were handled appropriately.

A spokesman says the patrol is taking “very seriously” the concerns raised in an anonymous complaint that sparked the investigation. Ehler was stationed in Des Moines and living in Adel when promoted in 2017 to lead the Council Bluffs patrol post. He qualified for state-funded relocation benefits.

Property records show Ehler and his wife sold their Adel home in 2018 for $469,500. Then, he claimed a homestead tax break on a new West Des Moines home.