Complaint Unsealed Against Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy in Case Investigated as Part of Operation Tarnished Blue

Memphis, TN - David Kustoff, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, Mark Luttrell, Shelby County Sheriff, and My Harrison, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Memphis Division, announced the unsealing of a complaint against Shelby County Sheriff's Office Deputy Thomas Braswell. He was arrested yesterday, and search warrants were executed at his residence and on his personal vehicle. He is charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a). According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Braswell received $500 from an informant posing as an agent of a substantial dealer in steroids and cocaine in exchange providing information about whether certain individuals were informants for law enforcement, including information from the Sheriff’s Office computer system.

Braswell has been a Shelby County Deputy since 2001.

According to the affidavit, the informant recorded a conversation between Braswell and himself on February 16, 2007, during which he asked Braswell if he could obtain information on a confidential informant. The informant then asked Braswell “what’s something like that worth.” Braswell advised that it depended on how “deep” the subject was. The informant asked Braswell to ascertain whether or not two individuals were confidential informants. Braswell and the informant also discussed Braswell’s efforts to obtain steroids. For example, Braswell described a steroid shipment that he ordered that was seized in transit by U.S. Customs.

According to the affidavit, on February 20, 2007, the informant met with Deputy Braswell and recorded another conversation. The informant asked Braswell if he would obtain a driver's license history on one of the individuals he had discussed earlier. Braswell told the informant that he could “pull it up on the computer” “tomorrow night” (February 21, 2007). The informant then asked Braswell to find out if one of his steroids customers is a “CI” (confidential informant). Braswell said that he would check. The informant told Braswell that he worked for a major drug dealer (“I work for somebody ... that name I gave you is for and this guy is bigger than anybody in this city would fucking dream of being”), and that he has seen his boss in possession of over 100 “keys” (kilograms) at one time. The informant then went on to tell Braswell that there was a guy who owes “us a lot of money” and that if he doesn't pay he's going to “end up in a ditch dead” because “the dude I work for doesn’t play.” In addition, the informant and Braswell discussed obtaining steroids. Braswell told the informant about manufacturing steroids from the kits he has purchased off of the Internet and the prices that can be charged for the finished product.

According to the affidavit, on February 21, 2007, the informant recorded a telephone conversation with Deputy Braswell. During the conversation, Braswell ran a driver's license history check on law enforcement computers for the informant. Braswell then read the information on the driver’s license history of one of the individuals the informant was investigating. Braswell also divulged to the informant, the address, Social Security number and date of birth of that individual. Braswell also told the informant that the other subject he was asked to check on is possibly the target of a narcotics investigation.

According to the affidavit, on February 22, 2007, the informant recorded another telephone conversation with Deputy Braswell. During the conversation, Braswell gave the informant information regarding one of the subject’s arrest history. Braswell told the informant that he would definitely stay away from this individual and that he could possibly be an informant.

According to the affidavit, on February 23, 2007, the informant recorded another telephone conversation with Deputy Braswell. They talked about Braswell receiving payment for obtaining the information about possible informants.

According to the affidavit, on February 26, 2007, the informant recorded another telephone conversation with Deputy Braswell. The informant told Braswell that he is going to meet the drug dealer he works for and get Braswell’s money for the information he obtained.

According to the affidavit, on February 26, 2007, the informant recorded a meeting with Deputy Braswell. The informant paid $500 to Braswell for the information he had provided. Braswell and the informant also talked about the fact that Braswell would be paid more money for more definite information as to whether or not someone is a confidential informant for law enforcement.

PENALTIES

The penalties for a violation of section 1951 are a maximum prison term of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years.

CONCLUSION

In addition to the agencies listed above, assistance was provided by the Memphis offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Memphis Police Department. These agencies are participating with the Internal Revenue Service in Operation Tarnished Blue, and this matter was investigated as part of Operation Tarnished Blue. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Colthurst, with the Memphis office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

Note: Charges brought against a person through an indictment are accusations only. That person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

FBI Home Page