MACHIAS (AP) – The state attorney general is sending an investigator to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, which says about 25 handguns are missing from its evidence room.

Sheriff Donnie Smith, who notified county commissioners last week, said two guns in the evidence room can be traced to one person, but he didn’t elaborate. Also, $450 in cash is missing from the department’s administrative office, he said.

An investigator from the attorney general’s office is expected to be in Machias in two weeks to look into the thefts. The sheriff said that if the investigation reveals that someone in his department was involved, they will be fired.

“You’re only as good as your people,” he told the Bangor Daily News. “They’ll be history.”

The department discovered the missing guns after a lawyer sent a letter to Smith saying his client wanted his weapon back. When officials looked for it, it was missing. That’s when the investigation turned up other missing weapons.

Guns are placed in the evidence room for a variety of reasons. Some are taken from crime scenes or seized from individuals. Others are confiscated from motorists if the weapon is hidden during a stop, and some are removed from a home during a domestic dispute.

Seized guns are returned to owners at their request if they not charged with an offense, or if they are found not guilty of an offense. Guns that are not reclaimed are traded on behalf of the department for ammunition or other guns.

Smith said he has instituted stricter standards for handling evidence. The only people in the department with keys are the sheriff, the chief deputy and the full-time deputies.