NC sheriff’s sergeant arrested during ‘ongoing criminal investigation,’ officials say
A sheriff’s sergeant at the Union County Jail was fired Thursday after his arrest during an ongoing criminal investigation, sheriff’s officials said.
Sgt. Anthony Humphrey faces four felony counts in the investigation that began Thursday morning when sheriff’s officials were told of “alleged misconduct” by the officer, according to a Union County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The misconduct included providing a cell phone to a person in custody at the jail, officials said.
“Preliminary evidence indicated that the inmate made multiple unauthorized phone calls using Humphrey’s county-issued cellular phone,” according to the news release.
That is a crime under N.C. law, so Sheriff Eddie Cathey called in the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the claim, according to the sheriff’s office.
SBI special agents charged Humphrey with four counts of felony furnishing a mobile phone to an inmate. The Class H felony is punishable by 4 to 25 months in jail.
Humphrey was arrested Thursday afternoon and taken to the jail. His release conditions had not been set by early Thursday evening, sheriff’s officials said. Humphrey was not listed in the jail Friday morning, according to a Charlotte Observer review of the jail inmate list.
Humphrey worked for the sheriff’s office since 2004, according to the news release.
“As law enforcement officers, we swear an oath to protect and serve our community and must always maintain impeccable integrity,” Cathey said in a statement Thursday. “While this is a sad day for my office, I remain extremely proud of all the hardworking men and women of the UCSO who serve our community admirably each day.”
In Thursday’s news release, the sheriff’s office did not say if any other types of misconduct are being investigated as part of the inquiry. The sheriff did not release further details about the case.
Humphrey could not immediately be reached for comment.
This story was originally published March 22, 2024 at 10:54 AM.