DALLAS (AP) — The FBI is investigating a Texas sheriff who faced complaints of corruption from his personal deputies for years earlier than drawing broader scrutiny for his company’s response to a mass taking pictures, in response to a girl interviewed by federal brokers.
The girl mentioned she’s twice met with a pair of FBI brokers in latest months after contacting them about what she feels was the sheriff’s botched investigation of her brother’s killing. Jenifer Jones informed The Related Press the brokers gathered data accusing San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and his employees of wide-ranging misconduct and informed her they have been on the lookout for potential civil rights violations. Throughout hourslong interviews, Jones mentioned they requested particular questions on instances and occasions nicely past her brother’s demise.
Federal investigators’ curiosity within the rural sheriff comes after an AP investigation discovered longstanding accusations that Capers has ignored deputies’ misconduct and uncared for primary police work whereas pursuing asset seizures that enhance his workplace’s $3.5 million funds however don’t all the time maintain up in courtroom.
It’s unclear how far alongside the FBI investigation is or when it is likely to be concluded. Many federal investigations by no means lead to felony fees. An FBI spokesperson mentioned the company neither confirms nor denies investigations.
Capers didn’t straight reply to calls searching for remark, however his second-in-command mentioned they haven’t heard from brokers and that their workplace is all the time open to outdoors scrutiny.
“I sit up for the go to, in the event that they’ll present up right here and ask the opposite half of the story,” Chief Deputy Tim Kean mentioned.
The probe follows years of complaints by the sheriff’s staff to state and federal regulation enforcement. Capers gained prominence in Might whereas main the dayslong seek for a person who fatally shot five neighbors within the county, which is an hour’s drive from Houston. However he additionally drew criticism for initially offering inaccurate details about deputies’ response time and from some residents who mentioned they felt neglected by and even fear the sheriff.
The time brokers spent with Jones exhibits they’ve “an excessive amount of curiosity in info she’s offering,” mentioned Michelle Lee, a retired FBI agent in Texas. She famous that’s a robust indicator of an open investigation, however warned that such probes can go on under-the-radar for years.
Jones, 47, mentioned she reached out to the FBI over the summer season, hoping the scrutiny of Capers following the taking pictures would make it simpler for her to attract consideration to the sheriff’s investigation into her brother’s demise.
Jones’ brother, John Wayne Dodge, was fatally shot in 2020 and sheriff’s deputies arrested his son for homicide. However in 2022 prosecutors dropped the case “within the curiosity of justice,” courtroom data present. Jones believes one other man is accountable for her brother’s demise and was by no means adequately investigated.
San Jacinto County District Legal professional Todd Dillon mentioned details about that man was additionally introduced to a grand jury in 2020. Dillon mentioned that he could not touch upon one other company’s investigation, however that after taking workplace final yr he concluded there wasn’t “enough proof or trigger to proceed” with the case towards Dodge’s son.
In September, Jones mentioned she met with two FBI brokers from Bryan, Texas. Throughout the interview, she mentioned they indicated there may not be a lot they may do about Dodge’s case however requested for her assist connecting them with individuals who could have been wronged by the sheriff.
Jones mentioned she additionally gave the brokers a duplicate of a police marketing consultant’s report that compares the sheriff’s workplace to organized crime. The county leaders who paid practically $50,000 for the report final yr disregarded its advice to ask the Texas Rangers’ public corruption squad to research Capers.
Brokers would think about it a “pink flag” that officers ignored the conclusion of a report they paid for, Lee mentioned.
Jones supplied the names and official e mail addresses of the brokers she met with. A regulation enforcement official confirmed brokers with these names work for the FBI in Bryan. The individual spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to speak to the media.
Jones mentioned she met with them once more in October, offering extra data and get in touch with info for different individuals who have been all in favour of speaking concerning the sheriff. She recalled one agent telling her they have been on the lookout for instances through which individuals’s rights have been violated.
Jones mentioned she desires county residents to know there’s an out of doors authority they will flip to with complaints concerning the sheriff.
“I really feel just like the victims of this county have nowhere else to go,” she mentioned.
