The Nebraska State Patrol has concluded its investigation into potential criminal wrongdoing at the Nebraska State Fair and has turned its findings over to the Attorney General's Office.
State Fair Board Chairwoman Beth Smith said during Friday's monthly board meeting, held on the opening day of this year's State Fair, that the investigator working on the case told her he had finished and turned over his findings to Attorney General Doug Peterson.
Smith said the investigator told her he did not know how long it might take for Peterson to make a decision on possible criminal charges.
Suzanne Gage, a spokeswoman for Peterson, said the "matter is under review."
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Smith announced in March that a review of the fair's finances had turned up suspicious activity and that the board at that time had alerted the State Patrol and Attorney General.
A state audit made public in July showed that Patrick Kopke, the fair's former chief of finance and administration, created a company and approved nearly $150,000 in payments to it from the fair.
The audit could find no invoices showing the company did any work for the fair, and it also showed that Kopke had used bank accounts connected to the company for more than $100,000 in personal expenses.
The Nebraska State Patrol has completed an investigation into questionable financial transactions at the Nebraska State Fair and has turned its findings over to the Attorney General's Office.