INQUIRY CLEARS DRUG TASK FORCE

A special prosecutor assigned in April to investigate a regional drug
task force based in Kerrville closed his inquiry Friday by saying that
no criminal activity was found.

"I think it's great," said Kerrville Police Chief Chuck Dickerson, who
is the project director for the 216th Judicial District Narcotics Task
Force. The inquiry began after a former task force informant accused
officers Dallas Bingley and Everett Alexander of fabricating evidence,
falsifying reports and other illegal activities.

Alexander, a deputy Ingram marshal assigned to the squad, expressed
relief about being cleared of criminal wrongdoing, but declined
further comment. Bingley, a Kerr County deputy no longer with the
unit, could not be reached for comment.

The main focus of the inquiry by Special Prosecutor Richard Mosty were
claims made by Tamarah "Lexi" Barton, who became an informant after
being arrested on drug charges that are pending.

Barton, 30, claimed that she had made only one drug buy for the task
force, but reports by Bingley and Alexander identify her as the buyer
of drugs in two sales by the same suspect.

Bill Hill, the task force commander, said the special prosecutor's
investigation "pretty much played out the way I expected it to,"
adding that Barton's accounts were not believable.

Barton's credibility came into question in June when she failed a
polygraph test, said Bob Galvan, her lawyer. Although claiming the
second drug deal never occurred, Barton altered some details of her
account, he said Friday.

"The problem is, she didn't come clean up front, so it cast a
credibility cloud over the whole thing," said Galvan, who called the
investigation by Mosty and Texas Ranger Kyle Dean half-hearted.

District Attorney Bruce Curry, whose office Galvan had accused in
court motions of complicity with alleged task force misdeeds, was
unavailable for comment.

At a recent pretrial hearing for Barton's drug case, the judge
rejected motions by Galvan to dismiss the charge based on alleged
wrongdoing by the task force and prosecutors.