.
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:33:49 -0400
From: "Barbara Acello, RN" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Net-Gold] News Release: Winkler County Sheriff Found Guilty of
Official Oppression, Retaliating Against Nurses
.
.
News Release:
.
Winkler County Sheriff Found Guilty
of Official Oppression,
Retaliating Against Nurses
.
Forwarded message from [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:14:14 -0500
From: Texas Attorney General
<[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Subject:
News Release: Winkler County Sheriff Found Guilty of
Official Oppression, Retaliating Against Nurses
To: [log in to unmask]
Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
www.oag.state.tx.us
CONTACT: Press Office at (512) 463-2050
Winkler County Sheriff Found Guilty
of Official Oppression,
Retaliating Against Nurses
.
.
MIDLAND ? A Midland County jury today
found Winkler County Sheriff
Robert Roberts guilty of misuse of
official information, retaliation
and official oppression. The guilty
verdict stems from the sheriff?s
attempt to retaliate against two
nurses in Kermit, Texas, who filed
anonymous complaints against
Dr. Rolando Arafiles Jr., a physician
who worked with both victims at the
Winkler County Memorial Hospital.
.
In an agreement reached at the close
of the trial?s punishment phase,
Roberts, 56, was sentenced to four
years felony probation on two
counts each of misuse of official
information and retaliation. He will
serve 100 days in jail on each of
four felony counts, to be served
concurrently, and pay a $6,000 fine
on four felony and two misdemeanor
counts. Roberts will be removed from
office by operation of law and
will surrender his peace officer?s
license.
.
In January, Sheriff Roberts was
indicted on two counts each of misuse
of official information, retaliation
and official oppression. Dr. Arafiles
and County Attorney Scott Tidwell
were also indicted on similar charges.
Last March, former hospital
administrator Stan Wiley pleaded
guilty to related charges after he
acknowledged improperly
terminating the nurses? employment
after they filed formal complaints
against Arafiles with the Texas
Medical Board. Under the terms of his
guilty plea, Wiley was sentenced to
30 days in the county jail.
.
According to prosecutors with the
Texas Attorney General?s Office, the
sheriff improperly used his position
as the county?s chief law
enforcement official in order to
help his friend, Dr. Arafiles,
retaliate against the nurses for
complaining to the Texas Medical
Board about his professional conduct.
Under Texas law, complaints
filed against physicians with the
Texas Medical Board are
confidential. However, after
Dr. Arafiles was notified about the
complaints filed against him,
Sheriff Roberts requested copies of the
confidential complaints, which
included the complainants? names.
.
During the trial, Assistant Attorney
General David Glickler explained
to jurors that Sheriff Roberts
improperly shared the confidential
complaints with Dr. Arafiles and
the hospital administrator.
Subsequently, the sheriff executed
a search warrant in order to obtain
information stored on the nurses?
computers and confirm that the
nurses were the source of the
confidential complaints.
.
In June 2009, the nurses were improperly
terminated in retaliation for
complaining to the Texas Medical Board
about Dr. Arafiles? conduct.
Ten days later, County Attorney
Tidwell?s office sought the nurses?
indictment and the Winkler County
Sheriff?s Department arrested the
nurses for alleged criminal conduct
they did not commit. A jury later
acquitted one of the nurses, while
charges against the other nurse
were dropped by the prosecution.
.
Dr. Arafiles and County Attorney
Tidwell are still awaiting trial on
retaliation and misuse of official
information charges.
.
-30-
.
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----- End forwarded message -----
.
----------
.
Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott
.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
http://www.oag.state.tx.us
.
CONTACT: Press Office at (512) 463-2050
Winkler County Sheriff Found Guilty of
Official Oppression,
Retaliating Against Nurses
.
MIDLAND ? A Midland County jury today
found Winkler County Sheriff Robert
Roberts guilty of misuse of official
information, retaliation and official
oppression. The guilty verdict stems
from the sheriff?s attempt to retaliate
against two nurses in Kermit, Texas,
who filed anonymous complaints against
Dr. Rolando Arafiles Jr., a physician
who worked with both victims at the
Winkler County Memorial Hospital.
.
In an agreement reached at the close
of the trial?s punishment phase,
Roberts, 56, was sentenced to four
years felony probation on two counts
each of misuse of official information
and retaliation. He will serve 100
days in jail on each of four felony
counts, to be served concurrently,
and pay a $6,000 fine on four felony
and two misdemeanor counts. Roberts
will be removed from office by
operation of law and will surrender
his peace officer?s license.
.
In January, Sheriff Roberts was
indicted on two counts each of misuse
of official information, retaliation
and official oppression. Dr. Arafiles
and County Attorney Scott Tidwell
were also indicted on similar charges.
Last March, former hospital
administrator Stan Wiley pleaded
guilty to related charges after he
acknowledged improperly terminating
the nurses? employment after they
filed formal complaints against
Arafiles with the Texas Medical
Board. Under the terms of his guilty
plea, Wiley was sentenced to 30 days
in the county jail.
.
According to prosecutors with the
Texas Attorney General?s Office,
the sheriff improperly used his
position as the county?s chief law
enforcement official in order to
help his friend, Dr. Arafiles,
retaliate against the nurses for
complaining to the Texas Medical
Board about his professional conduct.
Under Texas law, complaints filed
against physicians with the Texas
Medical Board are confidential.
However, after Dr. Arafiles was
notified about the complaints filed
against him, Sheriff Roberts
requested copies of the confidential
complaints, which included the
complainants? names.
.
During the trial, Assistant Attorney
General David Glickler explained to
jurors that Sheriff Roberts improperly
shared the confidential complaints
with Dr. Arafiles and the hospital
administrator. Subsequently, the
sheriff executed a search warrant
in order to obtain information stored
on the nurses? computers and confirm
that the nurses were the source of
the confidential complaints.
.
In June 2009, the nurses were
improperly terminated in retaliation
for complaining to the Texas Medical
Board about Dr. Arafiles? conduct.
Ten days later, County Attorney
Tidwell?s office sought the nurses?
indictment and the Winkler County
Sheriff?s Department arrested the
nurses for alleged criminal conduct
they did not commit. A jury later
acquitted one of the nurses, while
charges against the other nurse
were dropped by the prosecution.
.
Dr. Arafiles and County Attorney
Tidwell are still awaiting trial
on retaliation and misuse of
official information charges.
.
-30-
.
You have received this email from
the Office of the Attorney General
because you have subscribed to this
topic on our website. We do not
sell our subscriber list to anyone,
and do not acquire lists from third
parties; we only send to persons who
have subscribed themselves via our
website.
.
You may unsubscribe from this list,
review your subscriptions, or change
your email address on file, by
logging into
.
https://www.oag.state.tx.us/listserv/login.php
.
(your email address is your user-id).
.
You may also call (800-252-8011)
or write:
P.O. Box 12548, Austin, TX 78711-2548
.
We hope that you find this system useful.
Please send any concerns or comments
you may have to:
[log in to unmask]
.
.
"Barbara Acello, RN"
[log in to unmask]
.
.
|
