Indictments: Sheriff, candidates took illegal donations from Daylight Motors owner

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens is accused of accepting cash campaign contributions over $100, and of tampering with a government record, which is a felony. Photo provided by Chambers County Sheriff's Office. less Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens is accused of accepting cash campaign contributions over $100, and of tampering with a government record, which is a felony. Photo provided by Chambers County Sheriff's ... more Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close Indictments: Sheriff, candidates took illegal donations from Daylight Motors owner 1 / 22 Back to Gallery

Three of four candidates in the historic 2016 race for Jefferson County Sheriff were indicted Friday for allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in illegal cash campaign contributions from the owner of a Beaumont car dealership who is under federal criminal investigation.

Sheriff Zena Stephens, Deputy Joe "QB" Stevenson and former Beaumont Police lieutenant Ray Beck turned themselves in to the Chambers County jail Friday morning, where they were booked and released on bond.

All three were indicted in adjoining Chambers County rather than Jefferson County, as required by the Texas Election Code, according to the Texas Attorney General's office.

> > PDFs: Read the indictments here

Stephens, who defeated Stevenson in the 2016 Democratic primary runoff and then beat Beck, a Republican, in the 2016 general election, could be removed from office if convicted. She made national headlines as the first black woman elected sheriff in Texas.

She is accused of accepting $1,000 in cash from Daylight Motors owner Larry Tillery in May 2016 and $5,000 in cash from Tillery in September 2016, according to her indictment, which was released by the AG's office.

Tillery could not be reached for comment Friday.

Stephens also is charged with tampering with a governmental record for allegedly reporting the $5,000 donation in the section of her campaign finance report designated for documenting donations of less than $50, "with intent to defraud or harm" Jefferson County citizens, the indictment said.

On her "Campaign Contributions/Expenditure Report," filed with the Jefferson County Clerk's Office on Oct. 11, 2016, she reported receiving $5,350 in "total political contributions of $50 or less."

If convicted of the charge, a state jail felony, Stephens could be sentenced to between 180 days and two years in jail and fined up to $10,000.

She was released on $5,000 bond Friday.

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Beck and Stevenson were released on $2,500 bonds, according to the Chambers County Sheriff's Office.

According to Beck's indictment, he is accused of accepting $5,000 in cash from Tillery between Nov. 4, 2016 and Feb. 15, 2017, and failing to return the illegal contribution in compliance with election law.

He was indicted on two Class A misdemeanor charges, each of which carries penalties of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Stevenson is accused of accepting $1,000 in cash from Tillery between Feb. 9, 2016 and May 20, 2016. He declined to comment when reached by phone Friday.

The election code says candidates may not "knowingly accept" cash from a single contributor that totals more than $100.

Stephens' attorney, Sean Villery-Samuel, defended her in a statement, saying "as the community will learn, Sheriff Stephens had no criminal intent in her actions. The charges, in this case, are a clear overreach by prosecutors who are willing to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater.'"

Villery-Samuel said the first-time candidate "has now been accused of a technical violations of the lengthy and complex election code, in spite of her trying to cure that violation once she became aware of its existence."

Villery-Samuel and his father, attorney and Beaumont City Council member Audwin Samuel, accompanied Stephens as she left the Chambers County Sheriff's Office Friday morning.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that it "is aware of the indictments against Sheriff Stephens" and "will continue to operate as usual providing dedicated service and protection to the citizens of our County."

The office did not say when Stephens might return to work.

The alleged violations were brought to state authorities by federal officials who discovered them "during an unrelated federal investigation," Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said.

Tillery, who owns Daylight Motors, a used car dealership on Eastex Freeway and Dowlen Road in Beaumont, is under investigation for running an illegal gambling operation, according to federal court records.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed paperwork last May in the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Texas to seize nine properties from Tillery.

"The investigation has found evidence that Larry Tillery is operating an illegal sports betting operation with bettors located nationwide," a special agent from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrote in an affidavit. "The investigation has also found evidence that Larry Tillery is evading taxes associated with his gambling activities."

His wife, Judy Tillery, and children, Brian Tillery and Tara Miller, are named as "criminal associates" in the affidavit, along with Raymond Duplantis and Corey Loupe.

Nine properties in Beaumont, Lumberton and Phoenix, Arizona were listed in the affidavit, valued at a total of more than $5.3 million.

A criminal investigation into the case is ongoing, according to court documents, and a federal judge last month issued an order halting the seizure of the properties until the investigation is complete.

In a statement Friday, Paxton said, "Our election laws were established to protect the right of Texans to govern themselves through their elected representatives and to ensure fair and transparent elections, and it is the responsibility of the attorney general to enforce those protections.

"No one is above the law. The conduct of the people indicted by the grand jury is illegal and erodes the public trust. Working with local and state law enforcement, my office intends to hold them accountable," Paxton said.

Stephens previously was police chief at Prairie View A&M University and a chief deputy in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

She ran against Stevenson and Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll in a March 2016 Democratic primary and beat Stevenson in a run-off election in May.

"I'm praying for them at this difficult time," Carroll said Friday.

Stevenson is a chief deputy for Precinct 1 Constable Earl White, who was named Beaumont Fire Chief on Tuesday.

White said Friday that he plans to open an administrative investigation.

"I stand behind the individual as a human being and as an employee," White said. "He will receive fair and equitable treatment."

He declined to say whether Stevenson will be placed on leave.

Beck is a retired Beaumont Police lieutenant. Beaumont Police Chief Jimmy Singletary declined to comment Friday.

"We are deeply saddened by the current allegations and put our full trust and faith in our law enforcement and justice systems," Garrett Peel, chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, said in a statement.

Democratic Party chair Cade Bernsen could not be reached for comment.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement does not take action on indicted peace officers' licenses until there is a final conviction or disposition, spokeswoman Gretchen Grigsby said.

If a certified peace officer is convicted of a felony, TCOLE will permanently revoke their license, she said. A class A misdemeanor conviction can result in a license suspension of 120 days to 10 years. The range is 60 days to 10 years for a class B misdemeanor.

The County Commissioner's court would decide whether to pursue removing Stephens from office if she is convicted of a misdemeanor, Grigsby said. If she is convicted of a felony, TCOLE will work with the Attorney General's office on the removal proceedings.

Stevenson would not be able to work as a deputy if he lost his peace officer's license.

Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said Friday he does not anticipate the county being legally involved but declined to comment further because the investigation is ongoing.

District Attorney Bob Wortham, whose office is not involved in investigating the three officials, declined to comment.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz