This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Manila • The state investigation that started as an inquiry into employee misconduct at the jail in Utah's least-populated county has caught the attention of the FBI.

The probe has continued for months and led to the resignation Monday of Daggett County Sheriff Jerry Jorgensen and, five days earlier, Lt. Ben Lail, the jail's former commander. The Department of Corrections pulled 80 state inmates from the jail in February.

The Salt Lake Tribune learned Tuesday that the FBI will review the report after the Utah attorney general's office completes its review of the Corrections probe. At least one aspect of the investigation involves the use of a Taser, the newspaper has confirmed.

"The FBI has asked for our finalized report," Maria Peterson, a corrections spokeswoman, wrote in an email. "We plan to provide it to them soon."

Jorgensen in February asked the state to investigate alleged misconduct by jail employees. The ensuing probe and relocation of prisoners cut off a significant portion of the county's revenue.

It's unclear if the state found additional issues once it opened its investigation into the jail. Corrections, the attorney general and FBI all declined to provide details.

"The FBI is aware of concerns within the Daggett County jail system and will provide support if and when our assistance is requested," said John P. Russell with the FBI.

Two employees have been fired as a result of the investigation, and the Daggett County Commission on Tuesday continued the effort to appease state officials.

After talking with Capt. Chris Collett, second in command under Jorgensen, during a two-hour closed session, the commission appointed itself to be in charge of the sheriff's office. Commissioner Jack Lytle will be head of the agency until the Republican Party recommends an interim sheriff and the commission approves.

The commission also took action that will save the county money if the state doesn't decide to fill the jail with its inmates soon at a rate of $52 per day per inmate.

Commissioners approved a proposal to allow Daggett County employees to work for Uintah County Sheriff Vance Norton.

Uintah County is in need of eight employees at its jail — five jailers and three controllers. Under the proposed agreement, Daggett County sheriff's employees would be contractors in Uintah County, which could use as many or as few qualified candidates as it needs.

"The reason this is taking a little longer is me wanting to make sure those coming to work for me were not involved in whatever took place in Daggett," Norton wrote in an email. "After talking [to] people at state Corrections and Daggett County, we feel we have taken the proper action and we are moving forward."

Uintah County commissioners haven't yet approved the proposal but are expected to vote at their Monday meeting.

The action to take over the department ­— rather than allow Collett to continue as acting sheriff — comes four days after state Corrections Executive Director Rollin Cook indicated Lail's resignation and the two staff firings weren't enough to return the inmates.

"Current Sheriff's Office command staff continue to be subjects of the investigation and we remain apprehensive about returning inmates to the jail under its current culture," Cook said in a written statement.

Three days after Cook's statement, Jorgensen became the longest-serving Daggett County sheriff to resign from the office.

Chad Reed, chairman of the county Republican Party, said Tuesday he'd spoken with the governor's office and corrections officials about moving forward with reforms to the agency.

"The state's wanting what they call a 'culture change' in jail operations," Reed said. "That's what caused the resignations of the sheriff and jail commander."

Reed said he would ask applicants to explain how they'd meet that requirement. The interim sheriff would serve the remainder of Jorgensen's term through 2018.

The governor's office didn't respond to questions about its involvement in helping the county move past the investigation.

tanderson@sltrib.com Twitter: @TaylorWAnderson