State investigators are looking into whether Elbert County improperly paid Sheriff Shayne Heap more than $12,000 for unused vacation time he accrued from his years of work in the department.

The amount appears to be more than four times a limit set in county policy and is the latest in a series of financial issues faced by the county in recent years.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents met with County Commissioner Kurt Schlegel on Thursday to discuss the payment to Heap, said the agency’s assistant director, Steve Johnson. Johnson said he could not get into the specifics of the investigation but said it will be a thorough probe into whether crimes were committed.

“They’ve been very forthcoming and transparent up to this point,” Johnson said of the county and commissioners.

The allegations came to light after Elbert County resident Don Pippin submitted open-records requests, which yielded documents that revealed Heap had received $12,341 for the unused vacation time accrued while he was undersheriff.

Concerned, Pippin filed an affidavit with the district attorney’s office, outlining what he found. Prosecutors, in turn, submitted the case to the CBI for review.

According to Elbert County policy, an employee can receive a maximum payout of 80 hours of unused vacation time.

At a salary of $31.73 an hour, Heap should have received a little more than $2,500. Pippin said he was told by a commissioner that former Elbert County Sheriff Bill Frangis approved the payment to Heap.

Heap could not be reached for comment.

Heap joined the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in 2002. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving as a sergeant and a commander, and was appointed as undersheriff in 2007.

He was elected sheriff in November 2010.

Schlegel did not return messages seeking comment. But on the Elbert County Commissioner Facebook page, Schlegel wrote a post April 9 addressing the issue.

“Being interviewed this Thursday by the CBI in reference to the BOGUS affadavit penned by Pippin,” the Facebook post said. “Stay tuned!”

The probe is the latest in a series of financial follies the county has endured over the past several years.

After being indicted on 28 counts of fraud and embezzlement, former Elbert County Assessor P.J. Trostel pleaded guilty in October to two counts. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail, ordered to serve three years on probation, slapped with a $10,000 fine and required to perform 200 hours of community service.

Among the accusations against Trostel: keeping prize money intended for the county-fair queen and princess.

Several years ago, Elbert County had to secure a multi-million-dollar loan to balance the budget because of poor financial decisions made by previous commissioners. Elbert County had to put up as collateral many of its assets, including water rights, and shut down government offices one day a week to save money.

In 2010, it was revealed that a former budget officer incorrectly allocated motor-vehicle- registration fees to two funds instead of just one, causing a budget shortfall of $1 million.

Pippin said he found several other questionable payouts in his records requests that the CBI is also investigating. But the most serious one is the alleged payout to the sheriff, he said.

In a county of about 22,000 residents, every penny counts, Pippin said.

“Right now, the residents have no trust,” Pippin said. “Morale is low in the county. I have no faith in them whatsoever.”

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com