CLEAT asks county commissioners to investigate Sheriff

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Association is asking commissioners court to investigate allegations Sheriff Richard Wiles attended an event at the home of a convicted felon.

A letter by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), which represents the association, was posted on the El Paso County Sheriff’s Association Facebook page. The letter refers to the event as a “campaign breakfast fundraiser.”

Sheriff Wiles disagreed.

He told ABC-7 Tuesday he did attend a community event at a home in Tornillo over the weekend and it was not a fundraiser. ABC-7 also spoke with the homeowner, Ricardo Hernandez, who said there’s no reason the sheriff shouldn’t have come. “I don’t have no ties with any criminal activities,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez admitted he was convicted of marijuana possession and served a year in prison in 1995. He showed an ABC-7 crew his financial statements and records to support his claim he has only done legal work since, including running Lupita’s Grocery Store in the area. He said he has since sold that business. Hernandez said he was doing other jobs before and since, like oil field work, before being injured on the job.

“I paid (my debt) to society,” Hernandez said. “I don’t have nothing to pay to society right now. Only to God.”

In its letter, CLEAT states, “Sheriff Wiles either knew or should have known that attending an event at the home of a known drug offender would bring discredit to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; adversely affect the morale or efficiency of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; and destroy the public respect for and confidence in the operation of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.”

CLEAT argued Wiles may have violated “his own office rules and codes of conduct.” The letter further states, “had this conduct been alleged against a detention officer or deputy, that employee would have been placed under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office of Internal Affairs.”

Wiles said Tuesday he didn’t know Hernandez or about his background before meeting him at his home over the weekend. “There is an expectation that officers don’t associate with people of bad reputation. It depends on how old it is. The understanding is people get in trouble, pay their debt to society, we can’t hold that against them,” Wiles said.

ABC-7 asked Wiles about department policies regarding off duty conduct and association. He said he didn’t think they would apply in a situation like this.

“Let’s put it into perspective. You are invited to a birthday party of a friend and they do have bad associations … You can’t hold someone accountable for something they didn’t know,” Wiles said. “If they knew the guy was involved in criminal activity… That’s one thing.”

Wiles’ Republican opponent, Tom Buchino, said Tuesday “Wiles has been invited multiple times to stand side-by-side with me to discuss the issues. When it comes to him meeting with these people, that’s his business. He’s running his own campaign. I do believe you are the company that you keep.”

Wiles said he did not collect contributions while at Hernandez’s home. He merely met with members of the community after being invited to the event.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Officers Association, which endorsed Buccino, is asking commissioners court to appoint a third party to investigate the allegations against Wiles, CLEAT stated in its letter.

ABC-7 has reached out to the county judge and all commissioners, as well as the county attorney, for a comment.