Feds receive court order to seize MCSO documents

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is being accused of withholding records. Federal agents removed hundreds of id cards and hard drives from his office, under the orders of a federal judge.

Judge Murray Snow held an emergency court hearing after learning that the Sheriff allegedly failed to hand over the items that are part of the investigation.

It's just one of the latest allegations against Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They include allegations of racial profiling that he conducted an investigation into Judge Snow, and now his office may have kept evidence from the court.

Federal Agents seized about 1,400 identification cards, and 50 hard drives. It's the stash of evidence that Judge Snow says Arpaio failed to hand over.

"The judge has finally put his foot down, he's drawn a line on the sand a long time ago, and I'll tell you what, he's had it up to here with the Sheriff's Office again, has refused to comply with the courts order," said Lydia Guzman.

The ID's and hard drives are part of the racial profiling case against the Sheriff. Deputies are accused of pocketing the ID's during immigration busts. The hard drives pertain to Arpaio's investigation of Judge Snow.

The judge learned that the ID cards were set to be destroyed, so he ordered the U.S. Marshals to seize the items.

"I believe they intended to destroy them so that the truth never came out about how those documents came to be, where they came from, who conducted those stops," said Guzman.

MCSO Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan denied any wrongdoing.

"We have never been requested to turn those over until today when the court ordered us to," said Jerry Sheridan.

Arpaio's attorneys say the items taken have to do with allegations that the Sheriff hired a private agent to investigate Judge Snow.

"The items I told you, they had to do with the Montgomery investigation, and that's it," said Joseph Popolizo, Arpaio's attorney.

Arpaio did not attend Friday's hearing. A spokesperson for the MCSO said: "It's inappropriate for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to comment further at this time. However, the truth will come out during the hearing process."