Date of Offense
Offense(s)
Supporting Document(s)
Statement
Deputy Tim "Sparky" Campbell has sustained allegations and documented evidence involving dishonesty, the mishandling and unexplained disappearance of department property/evidence, and the active concealment of potential criminal conduct.
An internal audit and investigation revealed that a substantial sum of public funds—exceeding $13,000 designated strictly as official "Drug Buy Money"—disappeared while under the control and oversight of the Panola County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Division, heavily involving Deputy Campbell. In addition to the missing cash, two department-issued service weapons went missing from custody and were unaccounted for.
The basis for this Brady designation rests upon recovered text message communications between Deputy Tim "Sparky" Campbell and former Deputy Gilliam. In these exchanges, Deputy Campbell actively discussed:
- The specific amounts of missing buy money and the unaccounted-for firearms.
- Awareness that the funds were missing from the department’s official custody.
- Coordinated efforts regarding the concealment of the discrepancy.
These text messages provide direct evidence of an awareness of gross misconduct, a lack of institutional integrity regarding evidence/currency handling, and a failure to properly report the loss of lethal firearms and public funds.
Furthermore, the investigation established that Sheriff Shane Phelps was explicitly made aware of the missing $13,000 and the two service weapons.
Crucially, during the period this shortage was hidden, the Panola County Sheriff's Department actively pursued criminal convictions against defendants whose cases relied directly on the credibility of the Narcotics Division and Deputy Campbell. The failure to disclose that the department's drug fund was short by over $13,000 represents a severe, systemic Brady violation affecting the integrity of those prosecutions.
Under Brady and Giglio v. United States, the details of this narrative are highly material to any criminal case involving Deputy Campbell. Defense counsel has a constitutional right to use these facts to impeach Deputy Campbell’s credibility on the witness stand, specifically regarding:
- Character for Untruthfulness: The officer’s willingness to conceal the loss of critical evidence and taxpayer funds directly impacts his credibility under oath.
- Bias and Interest: The text messages demonstrate a willingness to protect department interests over legal transparency, indicating a severe risk of investigative bias.
- Chain of Custody Failures: Evidence that thousands of dollars and multiple firearms can go missing without proper documentation undermines the integrity of the chain of custody for any evidence handled by this officer or department division.
The US Citizen Reporters are a group of public and private defense advocates that scour the internet for documented incidents of police misconduct that have eluded accountability.
