Rusk County Deputy commits suicide amidst corruption; New Summerfield mayor "destroys taped phone calls"

Rusk County, TX:

 
A 56 year old Rusk County Sheriff Deputy weeks away from retirement committed suicide inside the Rusk Sheriff Department early Thursday June 14, 2007. Lieutenant Fred Dunlap arrived to work at 5:30 am and apparently shot himself in the chest. Many of his former allies within Rusk County were under a Federal civil rights investigation, though Dunlap was never named an actual suspect in wrongdoing.

Investigators: Deputy Found Dead In Uniform Closet Left Suicide Note, Jun 15, 2007
The Rusk County, Texas, sheriff's lieutenant who apparently shot himself to death in a department uniform closet on Thursday left a suicide letter, authorities said.Colleagues of Lt. Fred Dunlap, 56, said they were unaware he had problems that would lead him to take his own life. Authorities did not release the contents of a letter Dunlap left behind. Dunlap was found by other deputies about an hour after he reported to work Thursday morning at the sheriff's department in Henderson. He had a gunshot wound to the chest. Dunlap apparently muffled the sound of the gun by using layers of uniforms kept in the closet, authorities said. Rusk County district attorney's investigator William Brown said Dunlap was close to retirement. He called Dunlap "a good man and a good officer. He tended to his business and left everyone else alone." Texas Rangers are investigating Dunlap's death. (The Associated Press contributed to this report) (KTBS)

Lt. Fred Dunlap's suicide note has not been made public.

 
According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph "Investigators at the scene have confirmed there was a lengthy suicide note, which indicated Dunlap had some knowledge of alleged corruption that has recently come to light." Reports list the similar allegations occurring in Cherokee County, Texas, namely recent insurance fraud and civil rights violations within the Sheriff Department. Lt. Dunlap had been with the Rusk Co. Sheriff's Department since 1984. Following several civil right violations, fellow Rusk County Deputies were sentenced to federal prison for covering up the beating of prisoner held in the Rusk County jail. Lt. Johnny Davidson, who headed the Rusk County sheriff's office criminal investigation division, and Deputy Chief Dusty Flanagan were involved a November 2006 incident, along with unnamed officers.
Rusk County Deputy Dusty Flanagan pleaded guilty on July 18, 2007 for the civil rights violations and was later sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

(Courtesy KLTV)

According to information presented in court, on November 9, 2006, Flanagan was employed as the Chief Deputy with the Rusk County Sheriff's Office. That morning another officer arrested an individual on an outstanding state warrant. Flanagan was contacted and instructed the officer to transport the prisoner to the Rusk County Sheriff's Office in Henderson, Texas. He was then taken to Flanagan's office where he was interviewed. Flanagan and two other officers were present in the office with the prisoner. Another officer was stationed outside the door during the incident.

 

The man was placed in a chair and interviewed. Flanagan admitted that during questioning, a heated exchange of words occurred at which time one of the officers in the room grabbed the prisoner and hit him in the face. Flanagan then threw the man to the ground, jumped on him and kneed him in the back. The man was handcuffed with his hands behind his back during the entire incident. The victim was then taken to jail. Flanagan also admitted that he took photographs of the office area where the assault occurred and wrote a fraudulent report regarding the incident. (Courtesy KLTV)

Rusk County Deputy Johnny Davidson, Jr. pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2007 and was later sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for "excessive force."

(Courtesy KLTV)

 
New Summerfield, Texas:
The New Summerfield City Council heard from fired ex-police chief Tony Almengor who alleged his termination last year was a result of him whistle blowing to the Cherokee County District Attorney. The former New Summerfield police chief claimed that current Mayor Dan Stallings destroyed secret tape recordings of conversations with officials. New Summerfield Councilwoman Sherry Solomon countered that Almengor was fired for an improper relationship with the city secretary and for violating the city's time card policies.

The Jacksonville Daily Progress reports "According to Almegor, the beginning of the end for he and [city secretary Chrisina] Collier was earlier this year when Collier allegedly witnessed Mayor Stallings destroy a tape that contained phone conversations between the mayor and former Mayor Jerry Carlile.

"Danny Stallings bought a recorder himself, put it on his phone here in the office and did record Jerry Carlile when he would call and told Jerry Carlile he was recording him,” she [Collier]said.“The tapes didn’t belong to the city, the recorder didn’t belong to the city, they weren’t city property.” (Daily Progress)

New Summerfield City Secretary Chrisina Collier was terminated the same day as police chief Tony Almengor. They were accused of having an improper relationship. Weeks later, Mayor Stallings hired gypsy cop Michael Meissner as Almengor's replacement.

 Michael Meissner was a gypsy cop notorious for bouncing small town to small town in North East Texas. WFAA News 8 did a 3 part expose' on Messiner that aired in 2005.

Watch the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/michaelmeissnerweb

 

Mayor Dan Stallings had stood by the Michael Meissner hiring and Meissner was subsequently fired by the New Summerfield City Council in March 2007. Meissner has a criminal record and by not being a certified peace officer, placed the city at risk regarding insurance and liability. Texas law and TCLEOSE licensing requires a thorough background check of police candidates. Meissner had had 15 police jobs in 15 years. Regardless, Michael Meissner was handpicked as Tony Almengor's replacement as New Summerfield's Chief of Police.

Prior to former New Summerfield, TX mayor Jerry Carlile resigning in August 2006, police chief Randal Kennedy and city treasurer Cindy Carson were terminated. Kennedy had also been employed with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department for over a decade, then subsequently fired. He was later placed in New Summerfield as the city's police chief by former Mayor Carlile. Mayor Dan Stallings would ultimately approve of the hiring of Almengor and Meissner.

Michael Meissner courtesy DPS

 
New Summerfield, Texas currently has no active police department; the city is patrolled by the Cherokee County Sheriff Deputies. As for the destroyed tape recordings between Mayor Stallings and former mayor Carlile, who knows? It is not an issue for a city employee to record his/her phone calls. It is an issue for a 3rd party to be secretly someone else's, no matter what the CCSD or D.A.'s office has advised. The FBI and Texas Rangers are the entities that can record 3rd party phone calls, and even they need a warrant and have to listen in IN REAL TIME. State and County jails can record inmates phone calls, as Nacogdoches County Sheriff Kerss admits in print but Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell denies.

Cherokee County employs deputized GTE and former Lufkin Conroe Telephone Exchange employees who are directed and paid for by the Cherokee County District Attorney's office.

The Cherokee County District Attorney Investigator's prime duty is to initiate 'outlaw' phone drops on political enemies and potential jurors. Federal grant money and funds from the coffers of the State of Texas are given as payment to informants, who just happen to be close relatives of members of the Cherokee County establishment. Recording a phone call is not illegal unless both parties are not aware of it being done by a 3rd party, therefore a slippery slope.

In a town that small, every phone call coming out of city hall is being routed to somebody's grandma's farm for a Cherokee County constable or three to listen in on. Yes Sir, every one of New Summerfield's city business calls are intercepted by somebody out of the CCSD and recorded somewhere down the road. Why would they accuse the mayor of "destroying tapes" of city business calls, which the mayor has ever legal right to record? It's that third party recording, the home phones and the pay phone at the Dairy Queen (if New Summerfield has one) that law enforcement record via outlaw drops. Ever notice how many reserve Cherokee County Sheriff deputies are also full time LCTX or GTE linemen? 

 
As far as Michael Meissner is concerned, his lack of proper TCLEOSE certification put the city at risk in terms of liability insurance. Those that defend and support Meissner should stop and think about the hiring of Larry Pugh by Jacksonville, TX PD. Can New Summerfield afford similar civil rights suit?

 

Child porn in Nacogdoches jails/ Longview police volunteer indicted for child molestation/ Trinity County sheriff fails peace officer certification 3X

The Cherokee County media has reported that Jacksonville, TX resident Larry Hinton and his wife have settled a federal civil rights suits against the City of Jacksonville that has been buried by the local media outlets for a couple of years. Mr. Hinton was falsely arrested, beaten (complete with tasers) and had the pleasure of getting his teeth knocked out by the arresting officers during a botched round-up of rowdy high schoolers back in 2004. The incident occurred during the Jacksonville High School homecoming at the Tomato Bowl football stadium. For his troubles, Mr. Hinton was tried in 2006 by the Cherokee County Attorney for some concocted justification for Jacksonville Officer Larry Pugh's (now a convicted sexual predator) brutality that night in October '04.

This is typical Cherokee County propaganda, especially against minorities who win civil rights cases against the buddy system; it is reported as not a loss, but a win for the county.

Other local media outlets are following suit.
According to the Rusk Cherokeean the Sons of Confederate Veterans will be sponsoring the 3rd Annual city of Gallatin, TX Gopher Fest. Complete with rebel flags and pick 'em up trucks. No mention of the Hinton federal rights suit, though. A black man and his pregnant wife being tasered and beaten by a mob of white police officers simply is not news in Rusk, TX. It is also not news that the arresting officer Larry Pugh is now sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, in an "unrelated case" involving him sexually assaulting women while on patrol in Jacksonville, TX.

Even according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, April 10, 2007, the latest federal suit against Jacksonville police officers and the City of Jacksonville, TX has again, "been settled." It states: plaintiffs Larry Hinton and wife Leslie filed the suit after being stun gunned and beaten up by Jacksonville PD during a high school homecoming scuffle in October 2004.
The article cites "former Jacksonville Officer Larry Pugh allegedly maced and beat Hinton, according to the lawsuit." The news articles also erroneously state the case was "settled." When Cherokee County entities lose a case, then it is reported as "settled."

When the county wins a civil rights case then it is reported as such.

In an unrelated case" Officer Larry Pugh is the sexual predator who was arrested by the US Attorney's office for forcing 2 women to have sex with him, while he was patrolling the streets of Jacksonville, TX. He had about a dozen complaints against him that were ignored by the City of Jacksonville and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department over a 3 year period. Larry Pugh has since been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting these women during routine traffic stops.

"In an unrelated case," Larry Pugh is another example of a racist Cherokee County predator cop, a la the beating of John Brown of Alto, two years ago. We believe the cases are VERY related.As stated earlier, in January 2006, Larry Hinton was originally arrested, tried and then acquitted in Cherokee County for "interfering with an official investigation," in which he and his wife were beaten by Jacksonville PD. Fellow Cherokee County constituents sick and tired of the police corruption and the sheltering of rogue elements staged a demonstration during the Hinton trial on the steps of the Cherokee County courthouse in Rusk, Texas.

Gatherers showed their solidarity with the victims' being put through the ringer, instead of arresting officer Larry Pugh, Jacksonville PD. The mock trial took place in Cherokee County Attorney Craig Caldwell's court.

Again, no mention by the Cherokeean of the fact that Jacksonville patrol officer Larry Pugh was incarcerated by the US Attorney's office, soon after the Hinton's false arrests, for his role in raping women during his traffic stops. No mention of that blemish on the Cherokee County Attorney or District Attorney's office.
Cherokee County actually went forward on the bogus trial of Larry Hinton, even though the arresting officer Larry Pugh, JPD was indicted on federal counts of sexual assault and retaliation.

Editor's question: why was Larry Hinton tried in County Court instead of the District Attorney's court? Assaulting a peace officer and interfering with an official investigation is a felony, not a case for misdemeanor court.
The Answer: the county attorney has to take his blows, to keep the political heat and media off the District Attorney's office. However as the picture posted at
http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/homepage/images_sizedimage_025113528/resources_photoview
shows that the protesters in 2006 that stood outside the steps of the Cherokee County courthouse were not protesting the County Court at Law. They were rightfully questioning "the DA " and the "preponderance of the evidence" against Larry Hinton. Another racially motivated injustice and complete travesty. You can't fool everybody every day, just some people some of the time.

On the related racially motivated beating, John Brown a former high schooler from Alto, Texas


has lost his federal lawsuit in Marshall, TX regarding the night Cherokee County Sheriff Deputy Jamie Beene shattered his ankle and scholarship. Article posted March 29, 2007.

In the article, Sheriff James Campbell reflects on 'winning' the civil rights trial Brown v. Beene, "now that it is over, we're going back to enforcing the law."
Officer Jamie Beene was "enforcing the law" the night he shattered John Brown's ankle. Remember that. A Jacksonville patrol officer raping women when he pulled them over at night was "enforcing the law."

The same JP officer Larry Pugh was "enforcing the law" when he attacked Mr. Hinton and his wife, when Mr. Hinton tried to rescue his wife from the racist hands of Cherokee County law enforcement.

Constable Pct. 3 Randy Thompson busted for intent to distribute crystal meth was "enforcing the law" while he acted as the 369th Judicial District Court bailiff.

Police chief Chester Kennedy of Troup, TX busted for drug dealing and evidence tampering was "enforcing the law" for 12 years in Cherokee County, Smith County and Wood County

Heck, even ol' Michael Meissner, gypsy-cop extraordinaire and police chief candidate for New Summerfield was "enforcing the law" in Cherokee County. Even though he didn't have a valid and current TCLEOSE certification, but did have an arrest record to go with his fake Criminal Justice degree.

C'mon out to the 3rd Annual Gallatin Gopher Fest, folks, in the heart of Cherokee County, Texas. Bet these guys will be as tickled as a shrew in soft dirt when the Sons of Confederate Veterans rifle off something. They're just supporting those who make a living "enforcing the law." The sons of the Confederacy are enforcing the law in Cherokee County, Texas.

Deputized Phonemen Wanted

Posted by Cherokee County, Texas District Attorney uses illegal “party lines” on November 17, 2002 at 09:52:58:

In a fight on the war on drugs (and to remain elected), Rusk, Texas jails are monitored by local Cherokee County Sheriff’s office with FBI consent. Several local LCTX linemen are deputized giving District Attorney’s office telephone tapping discretion. Cherokee County Sheriff Department provides annual mediocre drug busts for Tyler/Longview FBI and DEA agents via phone taps, and has access to and “owns” all rural telephone lines. Phone lines of suspects and political enemies are spliced into the spare lines of “informants.” VOX tape recorders are hooked up to spare lines, i.e. “extension” and run into homes of District Attorney’s political allies.

Informants are usually reserve Deputies who live in rural areas of Cherokee County often in the same area as the home being surveyed. Junction boxes in front of “informant’s” house are used as switching stations and the spare lines on their phone drop are used as “slave” or piggy-back extensions.

Many informants have 24 conductor cables as phone drop that is run into their home and serviced by Lufkin Conroe Telephone Exchange. These “extensions” from unsuspecting homeowners are undetectable, unless granted access by court order to examine telephone junction box. Hence, anyone complaining about the neighbors intercepting their phone calls to Sheriff’s Department and FBI Tyler office are charged with Felony Criminal Mischief, for ostensibly opening telephone pedestals/junction boxes and tracing their lines into their neighbor’s house.
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Deputies who pick up the tapes pay informants a monthly monitoring “donation.” The money comes from mainly from the District Attorney's fund. Current and former District Attorney Investigators are custodian of cassette tapes used in voir dire and selection of grand jury pools. Tyler and Dallas FBI offices, the US Attorney's office in Lufkin, as well as the Department of Justice office in Beaumont have been notified of over 15 years of illegal phone tapping activities of current and former District Attorney’s office.
Federal grant monies are distributed to local precincts for drug enforcement. Instead, substantial Federal dollars are used by Cherokee County Commissioners and Constables to pay Southwestern Bell and GTE linemen and their families to monitor “party lines” established by District Attorney’s Investigator.
County Commissioners routinely vote down installation of fiber optic phone line for Cherokee County because “party lines” cannot be created on fiber.

  

Old news articles highlight the ongoing harassment of minorities, a tactic of falsely generating 911 calls, in order to have a Cherokee County deputy knocking on the doorstep in the middle of the night.
This overt intimidation tactic, after being discovered, was quickly reported as the telecommunications miracle of "lightning strikes generating the 911 calls." This during the time period of record drought and 0.0 inch rainfall records. A typical Cherokee County intimidation tactic highlighted by the Cherokeean Herald. Precipitation loggers and historical data indicate no lightning strikes nor rainfall for this time period.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Department would have those (who had been harassed by a deputy arriving unwelcome, unannounced and unsolicited) actually believe lightning could strike and send pulse phones to dial out "9," "1" and then "1" again. Even on phonelines that were not in service. For tone dialing, the actual frequency would have to be achieved in order to do what?
The hand of God dialed the 911 preset? Another lie because Cherokee County did not offer tone dialing until 1998; all telephone exchanges operated on pulse. It takes 9 electrical pulses to 'click' the relay at the telephone exchange, then 1 more, then 1 more. The Cherokee County Texas Sheriff's Department should have had the headline "Lightning Strikes Same Place 11 times in 3 Seconds... but doesn't burn up the phoneline..." Transient voltage in the air? Lies.
There is nothing more jarring than having an unannounced visit from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department during your late night house party...or as they call it "exigent circumstances" allowing for a warrantless search.
This type of civil rights violations has been operating in Cherokee County, Texas for decades.