Former Franklin ISD employee’s court date set amidst theft and tampering allegations
FRANKLIN, Texas (KBTX) -After more than six years, a court date has been set for a former Franklin Independent School District (FISD) employee accused of engaging in theft and tampering with evidence.
According to court records, Joe Squiers, the former Director of Technology at FISD, faces allegations of taking school equipment, specifically two projectors and a number of related accessories valued at thousands of dollars. Additionally, it is alleged that he fabricated an invoice with the intent to manipulate the investigation’s outcome.
The indictment indicates Squires is charged with one count of theft greater than $2,500.00 less than $30,000.00 which is a state jail felony and one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence which is a 3rd degree felony in the state of Texas.
Former Franklin ISD Director of Technology is accused of theft and tampering with evidence.
A motion and court order from June to unseal the indictment revealed that it had previously been sealed from public record. This week, details emerged confirming investigators have been inquiring into potential connections with other individuals linked to the case.
Our attempts to gather more information on the case led us to the Texas Rangers, who are spearheading the investigation. They have confirmed that this remains an active and ongoing investigation, however, a DPS spokesman told KBTX that no additional details are available for disclosure at this point.
One pressing concern is the lengthy duration of this case. Sources tell KBTX that the presiding district judge has recently expressed concerns about the extended timeline of the investigation which began in 2016.
Robertson County Courthouse in Franklin. (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)
As of now, Squiers is the only person arrested in connection with this case and is slated for a pre-trial hearing in February, with a jury trial set to begin on March 19.
Legal proceedings are being spearheaded by the State’s Attorney General’s Office. To prevent potential conflicts of interest, the Robertson County District Attorney requested a special prosecutor for the case. This decision stems from a staff member’s marital affiliation with a member of the school district administration.
