(KSDK) – A former U.S. Attorney was charged Wednesday with 18 counts of statutory sodomy, police said.

The alleged incidents took place at Eric Tolen’s Town & Country, Mo., home and involved two 15-year-old boys.

Police said the charges against Tolen stem from a joint investigation between the St. Louis County Police Department and the Town & Country Police Department.

Tolen is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center in lieu of $200,000 bond.

From St. Charles City Watch (Mar 21, 2006)

In the course of the bank robbery investigation, Fuhr interviewed Michael Buthe. (Def. App. 34, 127, 385 dep. pp. 162-63.) Buthe stated to Fuhr that Buthe met Eric Tolen at Sherwood Forest Camp when Buthe was 11 years old and Tolen was serving as a counselor. (Def. App. 34,134.) From about 1987 until 1990, Buthe lived with Tolen. (Def. App. 34, 279 dep. p. 174.) Missouri Division of Family Services (“DFS”) records show that in early 1990, after Buthe complained to DFS about his situation with Tolen (including possible sexual abuse), Buthe was in the custody of juvenile authorities for several months. (Def. App. 34,127, 139-42.)

Buthe returned to live with Tolen later in 1990, and continued to live with Tolen until about 1993. (Def. App. 34, 279 dep. p. 174.)On February 18, 1997, Fuhr took a videotaped statement from Buthe, in which Buthe stated: (a) that Tolen had [**21] engaged in sexual activity with him while [*14] he lived with Tolen; (b) that Buthe had found child pornography in Tolen’s possession; and (c) that Buthe had recanted his report of child abuse to DFS at Tolen’s urging. (Def. App. 34-35, 134-35, 386 dep. pp. 166-67.) Fuhr made the contents of Buthe’s statement known to Dowd, and Dowd viewed the videotape. (Def. App. 35, 207 dep. p. 94, 389 dep. p. 177.) Read more…

Related: In 1999, Tolen sued former Attorney General Ashcroft for wrongful termination based on race. Below are the opening paragraphs of the Court of Appeals decision in which the court ruled for Ashcroft.

Eric Tolen (“Tolen”) was employed by the Department of Justice as anAssistant United States Attorney from 1987 until his termination in 1999. His termination followed allegations of, inter alia: perjury in connection with his brother’s bank robbery trial, the unauthorized outside practice of law, making false statements to investigating officers, using government time, clerical assistance, and space for personal reasons, and misusing his position as an Assistant United States for personal gain.

Pursuant to Department of Justice policy, Tolen was placed on administrative leave while the Executive Office for United States Attorneys(“EOUSA”) completed an investigation into the allegations and ultimately recommended Tolen’s dismissal.

After being terminated, Tolen brought numerous claimsof racial discrimination and retaliation against various defendants, including Attorney General Ashcroft, FBI Special Agent Gary Fuhr, and former Department of Justice attorney Joseph Gontram. Read more…

Comments

comments