SA drug cop fired, putting dozens of cases in jeopardy

Following up on allegations of systemic misconduct at the Bexar County Sheriff's narcotics unit, the SA Express News reported this week ("Deputy fired in drug case," March 30):

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office on Friday fired Deputy Charles Flores, whose actions in a drug case nearly two years ago might have put dozens of drug cases in peril, his lawyer, Jimmy Parks Jr., confirmed.

Flores, a 10-year veteran, is alleged by his own agency to have lied about the source of information used to get a search warrant in December 2008.

If indicted, Flores, 31, would be the first deputy prosecuted as the result of separate, ongoing investigations into alleged wrongdoing by current and former members of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office 15-person narcotics unit.

In early March, Herberg's office sent letters to 239 defense lawyers of people prosecuted in drug cases involving Flores between January 2006 and December 2009. Herberg said it will be up to each lawyer to decide whether Flores' involvement in their clients' cases is significant enough to challenge his credibility.

This news comes on the heels of a similar situation at Garland PD where alleged informant-related misconduct by an undercover officer caused the entire narcotics unit to be reassigned and may put dozens of cases in jeopardy.