Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson has been indicted for alleged Abuse of Official Capacity.

It was reported on Tuesday that Richardson had been indicted by a Randall County grand jury on a charge of abuse of official capacity from $150,000 to $300,000. The charge is a second degree felony. An indictment released by news stations in the area alleges that Richardson signed a change order for the purchase of goods such as drones and API licenses without having authorization from the Randall County Commissioners’ Court.

Richardson issued a statement on the Randall County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page on Wednesday, calling the charge “bogus.” The full statement can be found at the end of this story.

The Sheriff has served in office since first being elected in 2000. He is not seeking re-election this year, but has still been involved in political activities. Richardson endorsed congressional candidate Josh Winegarner ahead of the March 3 primary and appeared in a commercial for the candidate. He also endorsed Paula Hicks in the heated contest for Randall County Constable this year and wrote an open letter to voters, which made claims about incumbent Chris Johnson’s alleged professional conduct. While opponents responded by pointing out that Richardson offered little proof in his letter to substantiate his claims about Johnson, the letter is widely believed to have helped tilt the race toward Hicks, who prevailed in the March 3 primary. Johnson denied the claims in Richardson’s letter.

Richardson’s current term is set to expire this year.

I want to thank the residents of Randall County and surrounding communities for their recent outpouring of support. I have been overwhelmed with hundreds of calls, texts and emails from friends and colleagues across the region.
It has been my absolute honor to serve the citizens of Randall County for 44 years, 20 of those as Sheriff, and I will continue to do so with the utmost integrity alongside the great men and women of the Randall County Sheriff’s Office.
Although I am unable to share details at this time, I look forward to the facts of the case being released to the public and this bogus charge being dropped.
-Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson