State agents raid Sheriff McFaul's office

CLEVELAND — State agents raided the office of outgoing Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul Thursday afternoon, searching for evidence that the sheriff broke the law when he had employees raise money for him.

Investigators focused on "allegations that there were some improprieties concerning the clambakes," said Special Agent Gerry Mroczkowski with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

The Plain Dealer reported last month that since 2002, employees had raised nearly $184,000 selling tickets to McFaul's annual clambake, which served as his main political fund-raiser for nearly 30 years. Many of the tickets were sold in courtrooms and in the Justice Center while the deputies were on duty.