Andrews – The N.C. Department of Justice has unsealed felony indictments against the late Rocky Burrell, who had been chief of police in town until he died of cancer in September.
The indictments include nine counts of obtaining property by false pretense and were related to courses Burrell allegedly received $48 per course, but allegedly did not actually teach. The subject of one of the courses was, “Ethics: Pre-empting Misconduct and Increasing Integrity.”
Rich Cassady, a Franklin-based attorney who planned to represent Burrell against these charges, did not respond for comment about this latest information.
According to the indictments, Burrell “did knowingly and resignedly with the intent to cheat and defraud obtain U.S. Currency, $48.00, from Tri-County Community College, Murphy, N.C., by means of a false pretense which was calculated to deceive and did deceive.”
The false pretense consisted of paperwork submitted to the college that appeared to document attendance and grades for mandatory in-service training classes that he was paid for but that were not held and that he did not teach.
The total amount paid to Burrell for the nine courses would be $432. The classes were:
- Creating a Safety Net;
- Domestic Violence: The Psychology of Whether to Stay or Go;
- Ethics: Pre-empting Misconduct and Increasing Integrity;
- Legal Updates;
- Practicing Proactive Wellness;
- Raising the Bar: Enhancing Community Engagement;
- Incorporating Co-Response Partnering with Community Professionals;
- Subversive Groups: Maneuvering Encounters with Fringe Groups;
- Bloodborne Pathogens.
The indictments were attached to an order for Burrell’s arrest. A hearing was scheduled to be held on Oct. 23; Burrell died in an Atlanta area hospital on Sept. 28.
Two additional indictments were issued for obstruction of justices – one for between Jan. 11-12, the other for Jan. 4-5.
Those two charges were related to the other nine indictments – “Obstruct justice by reporting to the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Division that Megan Selby, Wesley Farley and Courtney Heaton had successfully completed 2022 Mandatory In-Service Training through classes taught by him at Andrews Police Department on Oct. 4 and 5, 2022, when no such classes were conducted by Rocky Burrell at the Andrews Police Department on those dates, allowing officers to maintain their law enforcement certification without completing the mandatory annual training hours required by law. This offense was done with deceit and intent to defraud.”
Farley is a sergeant with the Andrews Police Department, while Selby and Heaton are no longer with Andrews. Heaton, who was fired, is the subject of a protective order involving a juvenile. She has been arrested for allegedly violating the order.