PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The next step in the case of alleged mishandling of funds in the Philadelphia sheriff’s department gets underway within about a month.

City Controller Alan Butkovitz says the initial sheriffs audit is done and soon a firm to undertake the forensic audit will get to work to find answers to a number of financial questions.

“The sheriff is only supposed to hold on to the money from sheriff sales for a short period of time,” he says. “In the course of 10 years there’s $45 million sitting there of which only $4.7 million went to the state.”

Joseph Vignola is chief deputy sheriff.

“I’ve been able to determine that some of the unclaimed money has been turned over to the city revenue department per the accounting directives of the city finance department.”

He points out the current administration which took office January 1st is cooperating with the investigation.

“There’s been no resistance from Sheriff Deeley. We’ve opened everything up.”

Reported by Hadas Kuznits, KYW Newsradio