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San Antonio, TX -- Frio County Sheriff Carl Henry Burris was arrested Tuesday on charges that he stole nearly $12,000 in drug money and tried to replace it by selling marijuana. The charges stem from an investigation that started in 1996 when Sheriff Burris' former deputy and political rival Kenneth Zunker approached authorities, according to a detailed FBI affidavit. Mr. Zunker, a former Frio County deputy who made an unsuccessful bid for Sheriff Burris' post in 1996, alleged that his former boss stole $11,726 from suspected drug dealers in 1994. "According to Deputy Zunker, Burris took a three-week vacation to Florida beginning the week following the seizure," the affidavit states. Sheriff Burris, who has been sheriff since 1992, also was accused of trying to replace the money by trying to sell 62 pounds of confiscated marijuana. The marijuana, the affidavit states, still carried the label indicating it came from a 1994 Frio County bust by Texas Department of Public Safety officers. The buyer turned out to be an FBI informant. A bond hearing was scheduled Wednesday for Sheriff Burris, 51, who was ordered Tuesday to undergo mental tests. If convicted of the charges, Sheriff Burris could be fined and imprisoned up to 15 years. Frio County is about an hour south of San Antonio. Copyright 1998 The Dallas Morning News In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings are made available without profit for research and educational purposes. |
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