A grand jury has indicted yet another Iredell County law enforcement officer for obstructing justice.
Thomas Lane “Tommy” Adams, a sergeant with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, was indicted earlier this week. The State Bureau of Investigation apparently served Adams, who was then processed and released from the Iredell County Jail on an unsecured bond.
Just seven months ago, a state grand jury indicted former Mooresville Police Chief John Crone for obstruction of justice and embezzlement. Crone's case has been continued twice; his next court date is Feb. 14, 2011.
As of late this week, Iredell County's clerk of superior court still had no record of a warrant being served on Adams.
It is unclear if Adams is still employed by the sheriff's office. Sandra Gregory, director of human resources for Iredell County, said yesterday that she could provide Adams' public employment information – including his most recent salary and change in status – within “a day or two.” However, she did not respond to an immediate follow-up email, asking if the sheriff's office still employs Adams.
Sheriff Phil Redmond has continued to employ Adams for five years after the incident from which the charge against him was brought. In fact, in a Sept. 17 e-mail to the Report, Capt. Darren Campbell, on behalf of Redmond, said, “The Iredell County Sheriff's Office and SBI conducted a proper and thorough review of this matter, Sheriff Redmond is satisfied that North Carolina law has been followed in all respects, and professional law enforcement standards and practices continue to be applied and enforced for the benefit of Iredell County citizens.”
In an e-mail yesterday, Campbell refused to answer whether Adams is still employed by the sheriff's office, responding simply: "I am forwarding your e-mail to the Captain of Personnel and Training."
The obstruction of justice charge stems from an incident that took place in or around 2005, when Adams retrieved two guns, cases and ammunition from a convicted felon. Adams signed an evidence sheet, indicating that he had submitted the property to the evidence room. But about a year later – after the defendant in the case had pleaded guilty to the charges against him – it was discovered that the guns were either missing or had never been turned it.
Upon being questioned by Campbell, Adams originally denied knowing the whereabouts of either gun. But after further questioning, he retrieved one gun from his personal residence and one from his personal vehicle and turned them over to the captain.
Sheriff's office personnel say Adams was never punished for the incident.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time Adams has had a brush with the law. At the time he was hired at the sheriff's office, Adams' former employer – a major retail store in Winston Salem – had charged him with felony embezzlement. Adams pleaded the charge down to a misdemeanor, which remained on his record when Redmond hired him to work at the Iredell County Sheriff's Office in the early 2000s.
The county paid Adams, an unsworn sheriff's office employee, to attend Basic Law Enforcement Training, covering his tuition and fees, even while most other rookies have paid their own way through BLET, taking classes while working at the sheriff's office at opposite times of the day.
Immediately out of rookie school, Redmond promoted Adams to detective sergeant, a practice that is virtually unheard of in the law-enforcement community, according to a dozen North Carolina police chiefs contacted by the Report this summer.
For more detail, visit http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2010/10/are-law-enforcers-above-law.html.
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218 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 218 of 218Someone with some law enforcement insight please explain to me what it is about Sheriff's/and Sherriff's Depts.
11:33.. Sheriffs have always been on the good old boy system and have had a tendency to overlook some things in the community. At times there are monetary, votes and other contributions given in return for that favor.
Sometimes you get a Sheriff that wants to be Sheriff for the sole purpose of exploiting that system for personal gain. That is when the good old boy system turns into a criminal organization and law enforcement becomes second priority.
The criminally minded Sheriffs intentionally set out to find out who is doing what, not to enforce laws, but to get a cut of the profits and allow illegal operations to continue without repercussions. It has been said that if you don't get rich being Sheriff you didn't do it right.
How do they explain away the riches? By marrying up or what?
Darren, is that you fishing for Uncle Phil?
To answer that question most of them never have to explain if they play it the right way. Greed and a big head usually cause them problems that lead to investigations.
11:16 who might you be?
I feel bad for the good men and women that work for Redmond. Most of them likely got into law enforcement to make their community a better place. Now they find themselves working for a man who is corrupt. Many of them know it and continue to stay.
However, their reputations are already ruined within the community. Many police organizations already know about Phil Redmond and would never hire someone who contiued working for him. They would fear they would be hiring a someone who stole evidence, used drugs, made aggressive sexual advances to victims, forged documents, or just had bad moral character. Who could blame them? After all you are known by the company you keep. If you remain working for a man that allows these things, then you must agree with it. You are either an ethical person or you are not.
You see, Jamie Gatton did not ruin the reputation of the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, Phil Redmond did. He should have never hired Tommy Adams. By doing so he harmed the credibilty of the Sheriff's Office, which led to harming the reputations of all his employees. When the thief he hired stole again he should have acknowledged his bad choice and fired him.
What these employees don't realize is when the man falls they will be under suspicion, and will likely be unhireable. Because of the state of the economy there are many people looking to be cops right now. Why would an employer want to hire one that was associated with a criminal enterprise?
You guys and gals at the Sheriff's Office best face the facts. Your careers are about as secure as your bosses' evidence room.
There is a reason that justice has been delayed in coming to Iredell County. Possibly the fact that the RICO Act is defined by actions taking place over a ten year period.
On October 15, 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968), commonly referred to as the "RICO Act", became United States law. The RICO Act allowed law enforcement to charge a person or group of people with racketeering, defined as committing multiple violations of certain varieties within a ten-year period.
They certainly won't have a problem with the multiple violations of certain varieties part of the description.
The bigger the case, the more time it takes to build. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.
Ten years? How about sixteen years? Investigators knew who this bunch was the first day they got voted in. Remember the liquor and gambling house in Catawba County? Circumstances may have caused it to go away but it wasn't forgotten.
To answer the above question, YES CAIN was one of the ones in the some of the pics.
How about deputies that hang out with felons...and one with three pending charges for things such as attempted 2nd degree kidnap,assault with a deadly weapon,etc. and even has his face on facebook broadcasting it...and just as strange is the fact that this female is still driving with 7 dwlr's...not one conviction and going to and from the court house when her cases are heard...but oops no one sees that and she signed a statement against her husband with out even seeing or being present when the crime was committed how about that was the most damaging evidence used in court...a 33 yr. old with a long history of drug,child custody and legal problems...think this was a little shady on the inside i do!!!!! They are dirty and Redmond knows what goes on and allows it!!!!!
Please tell us more... contact Jamie and get her the info to document this. That would be great.
Who is Jamie and how do i reach her...i have a story ...real good one....and i will be willing to share the info that i have found doing my own investigation which was shrugged off and then the long arm of the law took a very crooked turn...Mr.Redmond would not meet with me..but the pace picked up on the case once he knew i had to much info
oops...i could of had a V8...lol cancel above request i know who Jamie is....
Go for it Lisa. Every bit counts.
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