The Barrett Evidence Scandal: How Jasper County's Evidence Custodian Stole Drugs for Three Years — and the Cover-Up That Followed
For three years, Michael Lee Barrett stole drugs from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office evidence room. He consumed them. He traded them. He altered evidence logs. He compromised up to 200 criminal cases. When he was finally caught — by a deer accident — the county prosecuted him quietly, sentenced him to 50 years, and told the public nothing about the cases he destroyed.
Three Years of Theft
From 2014 through 2017, Michael Lee Barrett served as the evidence custodian for the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. His job was to maintain the chain of custody for every piece of evidence in every criminal case the county prosecuted. Instead, he stole drugs directly from evidence bags, consumed them on duty, and traded them with local dealers. For three years, no supervisor noticed. No audit caught it. No internal review flagged it. The evidence room was, in effect, unsupervised.
A Deer Accident Breaks the Case
In March 2017, Barrett struck a deer with his patrol vehicle. Standard protocol required a drug test. He refused. That refusal triggered suspicion. Investigators searched his workspace and found missing evidence bags, empty drug baggies in his desk drawer, and altered evidence logs showing a systematic pattern of theft. Sheriff Pope contacted the GBI. The GBI confirmed the evidence room had been compromised. The investigation that followed would produce 134 criminal counts against a sitting law enforcement officer.
94 Counts — 50 Years Sentenced
Barrett pled guilty to 94 counts of corruption, including Theft by Taking, Distribution of Controlled Substances, and Violation of Oath of Office. He was sentenced to 50 years, with 10 to serve. He was banished from the judicial circuit and stripped of his POST certification. District Attorney Stephen Bradley described it as "one of the most seriously disturbing cases that we've had in the circuit in a long time." Judge Amanda Petty said she was "not sure there was sufficient punishment to fit the crime."
The Cover-Up: 200 Cases, No Public Notice
A deputy told us privately that Sheriff Pope informed his staff that as many as 200 cases had been compromised by Barrett's theft. We contacted the Victim Assistance Coordinator in the prosecutor's office to request the list of dismissed cases and affected victims. We were never given a real answer. We later checked the public prisoner locator — Barrett was not listed as incarcerated. The public was never told how many cases were dismissed, how many convictions were overturned, how many defendants were released, or how many victims lost their chance at justice. The county closed the case quietly. The victims were never notified.
Guilty Plea
Michael Lee Barrett — 94 counts. Sentenced: 50 years, 10 to serve. Up to 200 cases compromised. Public never informed.