Rock County officials rack up overtime in extensive manhunt for Jakubowski

JANESVILLE — Local authorities say they spent more than $128,000 on overtime protecting their communities from a man they suspected would commit acts of violence with guns stolen from a Janesville store.

Joseph Jakubowski was arrested in rural Vernon County on April 14, ending fears over when and where he could possibly stage an attack. He is accused of stealing the weapons and sending a rambling, threatening manifesto to the White House and about two dozen other people before going on the run for 10 days.

The sheriff's office reports spending nearly $79,000 on overtime and associated benefits. Janesville police's overtime bill was nearly $44,000. Beloit police report spending about $6,000.

The Rock County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Janesville and Beloit racked up the overtime costs, The Janesville Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/2pwp2dY).

Cmdr. Troy Knudson of the sheriff's office said the hope is that some of the accounts in the office's annual budget will have lower-than-expected spending to offset the Jakubowski overtime. He said the sheriff's office would ask the county board for more money if that doesn't happen.

The overtime costs don't include those of the state and federal agencies that helped in the manhunt, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. The FBI's offer of a $20,000 reward for information leading to Jakubowski's also remains unaccounted for.

Landowner Jeff Gorn found Jakubowski camping on his property near Readstown on April 13 and alerted authorities.

"The reward is still being determined," said Leonard Peace, spokesman for the FBI's Milwaukee office, in an email.