Augusta sheriff and challenger address malpractice

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

Only two remain in the runoff race for Richmond County sheriff, with incumbent Richard Roundtree facing challenger Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley on June 18.

Both candidates offer extensive law enforcement experience but have different views on how the agency should move forward in combating deputy misconduct in Richmond County.

Additionally, both have disciplinary records of their own with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Roundtree says new policies have helped curb problem

Roundtree insisted that misconduct by deputies was not tolerated by his administration after several deputies were arrested in recent years for misconduct on the road and inside the jail.

In September 2023, two senior officers were fired and two others demoted for sexual relations between supervisors and deputies. In one case, the sexual act was broadcast on police radio, according to previous reports.

A few months prior, in June 2023, Roundtree confirmed that since September 2021, 24 Richmond County deputies and investigators had been arrested. Eight of the arrests were not employment-related, but 10 of the remaining 16 arrests were related to bringing contraband into the prison, according to previous reporting.

In addition to these criminal arrests, other deputies were investigated, disciplined or fired for violations during Roundtree's tenure.

Roundtree told the Chronicle in May that the agency had added “additional layers of vetting during our hiring process” and that there had been no other incidents.

Brantley encourages increased surveillance

Brantley, a former Richmond County sheriff's deputy and sergeant with the Richmond County Marshal's Office, said he would go beyond general policies regarding misconduct.

One of his campaign promises was to proactively review body camera footage to make sure everyone is on a level playing field, instead of waiting for complaints to come in.

Additionally, he proposed citizen oversight committees to improve transparency and accountability within the department, according to previous reports.

He added that recruiting and retaining more deputies would eliminate staffing shortages contributing to the problem, according to previous reports.

Personal files reveal the candidates' past:Richmond County Sheriff's Office personnel files reveal backgrounds of sheriff candidates

Both candidates have a disciplinary file with the agency

When commenting on the deputies' misbehavior, Roundtree and Brantley both had their own issues.

Brantley began his career with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in October 1994, before becoming a corporal in January 2016.

A review of his personnel file with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office revealed a number of letters of praise from Roundtree; one highlighting Brantley's efforts to save a one-year-old who stopped breathing in 2015. Others praised Brantley for his help at various community service events.

However, disciplinary records show Brantley was suspended for a total of 11 days and served 12 months on probation, according to his personnel file.

The offenses included failing to appear in court on two occasions and disobeying a commissioner while parked in a designated space at the municipal building.

Roundtree has also been disciplined at least seven times by the department, according to a previous report from The Augusta Chronicle. He was suspended for a total of 16 days and received two written warnings.

However, the biggest incident occurred in 2008 and involved mismanagement of homicide cases, according to previous reports. The mistake resulted in his demotion from investigator, 12 months of probation and a forced departure from the violent crimes division.

While Roundtree was at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, an investigation concluded that Roundtree left several homicide files at his former home on Telfair Street, The Chronicle reported. The house was sold and the new owners found the records.

Roundtree admitted that removing the records from the office was a violation of policy, but said all of the cases were “cold” and that he had not completely left the apartment when they were found, according to reports previous ones.

At the time, Roundtree was also investigated over allegations that he had inappropriate contact with a female inmate during a criminal investigation. The Chronicle reported. The inmate, a witness to a homicide, has been released from prison at least seven times.

Roundtree said he did nothing wrong in this situation and was not subject to any disciplinary action, according to the report.

Roundtree says new policies have helped curb problem

Lina Portman

Related Articles

St. Johns County residents warned about calls claiming to be from sheriff's office – Action News Jax

Two Ahmadis shot dead by a teenager in Mandi Bahauddin

Report of deadly police shooting near Patterson Park

Interlaken Fire near Leadville, Twin Lakes