According to ABC11, court documents say Anthony Jose Garcia, 29, a Wake County sheriff's deputy hired in August 2020, improperly used government property and computer systems to tip off a wanted person about active felony warrants. The documents state he acted "in secrecy and with malice." Garcia was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of obstruction of justice and one count of accessing government computers for fraud. He is no longer employed by the sheriff's office and was released on a $30,000 bond. His attorney appeared in court on his behalf Friday. Sheriff Willie Rowe said his office launched an immediate investigation and will not tolerate conduct that compromises public trust. The sheriff's office said the case remains under investigation. The district attorney's office is reviewing fewer than two dozen of Garcia's active cases.
Why it matters
The charges allege a deputy misused law enforcement computer access to help a wanted person, and prosecutors are reviewing fewer than two dozen of his cases, some of which could be dismissed.
Charged: Prosecutors filed criminal charges. A charge is not proof of guilt, and the person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.