Gregg County sheriff's candidate pleads to misdemeanor

White sentenced to deferred probation on charge of tampering with records harge

The Democratic candidate for Gregg County sheriff pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of tampering with government records.

Bobby Ray White was sentenced to six months' deferred probation, meaning the conviction will be cleared from his record if he completes probation.

County Court-at-Law No. 1 Judge Becky Simpson ordered White to serve 48 hours of community service and pay $249 in court costs.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped a felony indictment against him that would have ended his political run. White can continue his campaign, officials said.

White admitted to falsifying the hiring dates for a former employee of his security firm, court records show.

The employee, Anterrius Jarrod Johnson, did not have a firearm license when he was hired by White Security Services in July 2006.

Johnson received his license Feb. 3, but White entered a hiring date of Feb. 19 on Johnson's employment records, according to Gregg County District Attorney Carl Dorrough.

The case was investigated by the Private Security Bureau Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

White was scheduled to go to trial Monday on a third-degree felony charge of tampering with governmental records. He could have been sentenced to up to one year in jail.

White will face incumbent Maxey Cerliano in the November general election for sheriff. Cerliano is unopposed in the Republican primary.