Indictment just newest obstacle for Joslin

PLUM GROVE — John Joslin will have to wait a little longer to once again pin on the police chief’s badge until issues involving an indictment issued by a Harris County grand jury are resolved, officials said.  

In addition to trying to get his old job back with the city, Joslin is again seeking election to his former post in the north end of Liberty County as the Precinct 6 constable.  

Last month, the City Council moved to reinstate Joslin as the city's police chief, but now that decision is on hold in accordance with state licensing procedures for police facing a criminal charge of Fraudulent Use of Identifying Information.  

A letter obtained by the Vindicator to Joslin from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement informs the longtime lawman that while under indictment, he is prohibited from accepting any job until all pending criminal cases have been resolved and TCOLE can confirm any impact that may have on the individual's license.  

TCOLE is the regulatory agency for all peace officers in Texas and can grant or revoke their licenses.  

"TCOLE rules 217.1 prohibit a person who is currently charged with any criminal offense for which conviction would be a bar to licensure from accepting any appointment," reads the letter from Maj. T.J. Vineyard of TCOLE’s enforcement division.  

The letter also addresses what it says are Joslin's efforts to speed up the credentialing process at TCOLE, requesting to go around the established procedure for a background check, which is the authority of the chief administrator for the hiring body, in this case, Mayor Mary Arrendell.  

"You cannot conduct your own background check and you should not oversee it," Vineyard wrote. "Ultimately, we will not accept a Background Confirmation Form that is not signed by the mayor since she is the hiring manager for the governing body."  

Arrendell referred to the situation at the Jan. 8 council meeting, noting the municipality’s hands are tied if Joslin will not consent to a background check and turn in his personal history.  

The mayor also contends that Brandon Frazier is still in fact the city’s police chief, further negating Joslin from taking that position. Telling the council last week that he had not resigned. 

“He’s just sitting idle,” said Arrendell. “He hasn’t resigned.” 

According to the letter, Joslin can only serve in a civilian administrator role, which Joslin previously has done.  

"If the city of Plum Grove is willing to do the same in this case, they must still complete pre-employment procedures that are required," Vineyard wrote.  

Vineyard also referenced the embattled Coffee City Police Department, which employed Joslin after Plum Grove terminated him during a previous stint with the city.  

"It was failures in that background and hiring process that ultimately led to the undoing of the Coffee City Police Department. We are still actively investigating dozens of officers who were hired and appointed despite deficient or dishonest Personal History Statements and incomplete background investigations," Vineyard said.  

According to information in a report by KHOU-11, the indictment, which was issued Dec. 18, 2023, alleges Joslin received sensitive information from former Harris County Precinct 3 Deputy Constable Kassondra Garcia.  

An investigation by the Harris County Precinct 3 Office alleges a peace officer used her secure Harris County email to send information to Joslin, who was not authorized to receive the data.  

It is alleged those emails included incident reports regarding human trafficking and narcotics investigations.  

Joslin reportedly hired Garcia in Plum Grove on Oct. 22, 2021, the day Harris County terminated her, and Coffee City employed both officers following their departure from Plum Grove.  

Garcia resigned from Plum Grove after Joslin’s termination in March 2022. 

A statement was provided at the time of the indictment by Joslin's attorney, Chris Tritico:  

"We do not know why Chief Joslin was pulled into an investigation of another officer. John Joslin had nothing to do with the other investigation and this charge is collateral to that investigation. As of today, we have nothing except the complaint by which to go on.”  

Added the attorney, “John Joslin has no recollection of receiving the offense reports and reason to have them. The reports in question were located during a search of another officer's computer. There is simply no evidence that John Joslin did anything wrong."  

According to KHOU-11, Joslin has been with 22 departments over his nearly 30-year career.