News release from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office:
Buncombe County — On the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, at approximately 9:30 a.m., the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a complaint involving Captain Charles “Josh” Whilhem. Sheriff Van Duncan met with the complainant in person. At approximately 11 a.m. that same morning, Duncan met with Whilhelm to discuss the allegations, and suspended him with pay.
Later that day, Duncan called the State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge for the western region, James M. Schandevel, to notify him about the complaint and that he would be sending a formal letter requesting an SBI investigation. A letter was drafted and sent to Schandevel via e-mail at approximately 3 p.m. At that time it was decided that an internal Professional Standards investigation would not be conducted while the SBI was investigating the matter.
On Jan. 19, 2018, a local media outlet contacted the SBI requesting confirmation that an investigation involving a Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office employee was being conducted by the agency. Schandevel contacted Duncan to notify him that the media was aware of the investigation. Duncan confirmed an ongoing SBI investigation involving Whilhelm to local media outlets.
On Jan. 22, 2018, Duncan received a general briefing of the investigation from the SBI. Based on the information provided at the briefing, a determination was made to terminate Whilhelm’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office. Later that day, at approximately 3 p.m., Whilhem was notified in person that his employment with the agency was terminated.
Per North Carolina General Statute 132-6, the employment history and termination letter of Whilhelm are attached. The SBI investigation into this matter is active and ongoing. No further information regarding this matter will be released at this time.
Click on the images below to see Whilhelm’s employment history and the termination letter he received.
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