Former constable set to begin trial for felony charges - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports

Former constable set to begin trial for felony charges

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Dustin Rusty Dustin Rusty

SMITH COUNTY (TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH) - The trial for a former Smith County constable who resigned earlier this month after an unsuccessful re-election bid is expected to begin Monday in the 241st District Court.

Following an investigation by Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety, Dustin Robert Rust, 31, was indicted in April on two counts of abuse of official capacity, a state jail felony; one count of theft by a public servant, a third-degree felony; and 10 counts of operating a security company without a license, a Class A misdemeanor.
Each charge of abuse of official capacity carries 180 days to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

The third-degree felony theft for allegedly using taxpayer dollars to illegally run a security business for benefit carries between two years and 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

During a pre-trial hearing Friday in Judge Jack Skeen Jr.'s court, independent prosecutor Lance Larison, who will prosecute the case, and defense attorneys John Haring and Kelly Pace all said they were ready to proceed in the trial and had no other matters for the court to consider.

Larison and Rust declined comment after the hearing, citing a gag order.

On May 29, Rust finished last in a four-candidate primary race. Jim Blackmon, a Bullard police officer, won the July 31 runoff and was appointed by the Smith County Commissioners Court to fulfill the unexpired term. Blackmon will begin the full term for which he was elected on Jan. 1.
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