More information on the story you saw first on KETK.
The investigation into off-duty work by the Precinct 3 Constable’s office took a new turn yesterday with the appointment of a special prosecutor.
As KETK reported Monday, former Gregg County Assistant District Attorney Lance Larison will take over the investigation into Precinct 3 Constable Dustin Rust.
Larison was by all accounts an excellent prosecutor albeit one who left under a cloud after a 3rd DWI conviction.
He even spent some time in the Smith County DA’s office.
The investigation concerns private, off-duty security work done by 4 deputies in the precinct office.
It is alleged, they did not follow state guidelines for such work.
One issue left unresolved in our conversation with both Constable Rust and District Attorney Matt Bingham are the admissions of guilt by Rust’s four deputies.
KETK got 3 affidavits and was assured by Bingham that the fourth arrested deputy, Monty Ward, was cooperating and admitted guilt as well.
Ward’s father told us today that is emphatically not the case and that his son committed no offence and his attorney, Robert Perkins of Tyler, will fight the charges.
Shortly after our conversation, they were called to a meeting with their attorney to discuss an affidavit from Bingham’s office.
Ward told KETK, it was an admission of guilt for something completely unrelated to the arrest warrant.
Needless to say, they didn’t sign.
Constable Rust says, this is politics and originates with one County Commissioner, Carey Nix.
We spoke with Nix who didn’t want to go on camera. But our call generated a press release from the office of the County Judge. It said the court used due diligence, and fowarded evidence of wrongdoing to the proper investigative authorities.