Posted 3:09 pm Saturday, May 24, 2008
Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson Faces 10 Charges
By KENNETH DEAN, CASEY KNAUPP, And ROY MAYNARD
Staff Writers
“It’s my precinct,” Smith County Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson is known to say — however, 10 indictments that led to his arrest Friday may cost him that precinct.
Staff Writers
“It’s my precinct,” Smith County Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson is known to say — however, 10 indictments that led to his arrest Friday may cost him that precinct.
Wearing his uniform, Jackson, who has served as constable for nine years, was led into the Smith County Jail Friday morning. He had been arrested on seven tampering with governmental record charges and three official oppression/sexual harassment charges. He was stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers driving at a “high rate of speed” in Van Zandt County.
Jackson, 55, did not say a word as he was escorted into the jail. His face allowed little expression. He was released later Friday on bonds totaling $425,000.
Jackson, who served as a Tyler Police Department reserve officer before he was elected to his current office, was charged with seven second-degree felony counts of tampering with a governmental record, for which he faces two to 20 years in prison for each charge if convicted.
The tampering charges arise from alleged false filings made by Jackson regarding his private security company Fail Safe Security Agency, said Tonda Curry who has been appointed special prosecutor in the case.
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“It is always unfortunate when a law enforcement officer violates the law. It undermines the credibility of law enforcement everywhere. The citizens of Precinct 1 are entitled to honest, upstanding law enforcement. If that is not what they have been getting we are going to do our best to stop it,” Curry said.
TAMPERING
On seven occasions, from August 2006 through February 2008, Jackson allegedly made false entries in governmental records with the intent to defraud the DPS Private Security Bureau.
According to the indictments, Jackson made false entries as to when noncommissioned and commissioned security officers were hired. The officers had worked for months or even up to a year in some cases before their recorded hire dates, the documents show.
Investigators in the case said that a local DPS sergeant on routine checks found that deputy constables employed by Jackson’s private security firm were wearing their constable uniforms while working for the security company and not the county. However, they believe Jackson was being paid by the county for the deputies who were already being paid for by the business where they were working security.
“We have found that there were multiple times of this taking place,” one investigator told the newspaper early in the case.
In two separate documents returned to the court, troopers listed 72 items of evidence. Some of those items of evidence included multiple pieces on one entry.
At his constable office, troopers confiscated multiple bags of what was believed to be marijuana taken during drug arrests, a bottle containing some type of unknown liquid, four computers, phone rosters, calendars, time sheets, file folders and e-mail correspondence.
At the security business, officers confiscated three computers, mail, file cabinets, file folders, a weekly payroll sheet and multiple boxes of assorted documents.
OPPRESSION
Jackson was also charged with three misdemeanor counts of official oppression for alleged sexual harassment while acting under the color of his office as a public servant.
On Dec. 15, 2006, March 11, 2007, and July 1, 2007, Jackson made unwelcome sexual advances to three different women — “submission to which was expressly or implicitly made a term or condition of the exercise or enjoyment … of … her employment,” according to the indictments.
Each misdemeanor charge could result in one-year confinement in the county jail and a fine not to exceed $4,000.
One alleged victim told the newspaper in an earlier interview that Jackson touched her inappropriately and when she resisted Jackson allegedly told her that in his office he defined what constituted sexual harassment.
The alleged victim said she feared that Jackson would also fire her and cause a blemish on her record as a peace officer if she reported his actions.
DPS trooper Jean Dark said, “How ironic that a good cop, trooper Steven Stone with the Private Security Bureau, who was shot several years ago, is the one who made the arrest.”
After posting bond Jackson was able to once again assume his duties as a certified peace officer and role as constable.
According to County Judge Joel Baker, Jackson’s arrest does not automatically remove him from office.
In the interim, Baker said that a petition for Jackson’s removal can be filed in district court, but he doesn’t believe that Commissioners’ Court would be the proper petitioner.
Upon conviction or removal, a constable would be replaced by a Commissioners Court appointee.
Officials close to the case said the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI have joined the investigation, however, Curry would only say the investigation continues and numerous agencies are involved.
Jackson did not return calls for a comment but a woman identifying herself as Jackson’s wife answered his cell phone shortly after he posted bond.
“I don’t have anything to say at this time,” she said. When asked if she knew where her husband was she said “I have no idea and I’ll tell him you called if I see him.”
