Luck gets worse for Simons when his car is burglarized

From allegedly victimizing the county he swore to serve to becoming a victim himself, an embattled former public official said he was ripped off while staying at a local motel.

The victim, Wil Simons, 50, told police his 1996 Infiniti was broken into while it was parked outside his motel room at Scottish Inns on Sparta Street some time Monday evening. He was renting a room at the motel on the eve of his arraignment Tuesday morning before General Sessions Judge Larry Ross on drug possession charges.

Prosecutors say Simons had marijuana in a briefcase in his possession when he came to the district attorney general’s office for a meeting. He did not known he would be taken into custody on charges he illegally used a credit card belonging to Van Buren County.

Simons was administrative assistant to former Van Buren County Executive Carolyn Houston, who was defeated in last year’s election. Lawmen say Simons used a credit card belonging to the county to buy items for himself, leading to his indictment on theft and official misconduct charges.

While facing the felony counts, Simons told police he was the victim of a car burglar who used some type of tool to unlock his car door from the outside. Police said it appeared someone had broken into his car.

Simons reported missing a single briefcase bearing a state seal and his name. It is not known if the case is the same case in which the marijuana was allegedly found last month. Inside the briefcase, Simons says, were a variety of credit cards and a checkbook along with some legal documents and an expired license belonging to him. Lawmen are hoping to view surveillance tape of the area for clues.

Simons is to appear for a hearing on the drug charges here Aug. 9.