A rule requiring members of the Boone County Coroner’s Office to be armed at crime scenes has landed one of its employees in hot water, after it was discovered he’s a convicted felon. Forty-five-year-old Shawn Smith was arrested after it was discovered he’s not allowed to be in possession of weapons due to his status.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Coroner Jake Mattix contacted a Boone County investigator on Feb. 14 and said he had received information of one of his part-time deputy coroners, identified as Smith, possibly having a conviction in Texas. Mattix said Smith was previously a part-time deputy in Dallas County, Arkansas, and left when his wife accepted a job in Boone County. The coroner also reportedly admitted he put Smith to work prior to completing a full criminal background check.
The next day, the investigator began a background check and located criminal records from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in Tyler, Texas. He then made contact with an administrative assistant in Smith County, and she sent documents showing Smith was released from a Texas prison in 2018 after being incarcerated for over two years for owing over $40,000 in back child support and hot checks. A criminal history report also returned four felony convictions from Texas.
The investigator later contacted a detective in Dallas County to inquire about Smith’s employment. The detective said the background check on Smith did not show felony convictions. He also said he was aware of Smith’s incarceration on the child support charge, but he thought it was only a misdemeanor.
Later that afternoon, Mattix met with Smith at his office, and two investigators arrived. When asked if Smith knew he was a convicted felon, he reportedly said he thought the matter was disposed of, after he was released from prison. Later at the sheriff’s office, Smith admitted he did not file any paperwork to get his conviction expunged.
Smith faces felony counts of possession of firearms by certain persons and criminal impersonation. He is out on a $10,000 bond, and he is scheduled to appear in Boone County Circuit Court Tuesday.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI