Travis County District Attorney Ronald Earle today released the following statement:
A Travis County Grand Jury returned an indictment today against Galen Ray Sumrow charging three
counts of the felony offense of Abuse of Official Capacity. Based upon the dollar value of the
funds involved, two of the three counts allege third degree felony offenses, and a third count
alleges a state jail felony offense.
Galen Ray Sumrow is the Criminal District Attorney of Rockwall County, Texas.
The indictment alleges that Mr. Sumrow, in 2003 and 2004, misused District Attorney
Apportionment Funds that had come into his possession by virtue of his office and
employment as the Criminal District Attorney for Rockwall County by dealing with the
funds in a manner contrary to a law and contrary to the limited purpose for which
the funds were received. The indictment further alleges that Mr. Sumrow submitted
a direct deposit authorization to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts that caused
the Comptroller to directly deposit the funds into his personal bank account where he
then used the funds for his personal and living expenses.
Texas law requires the State of Texas to provide these funds to state prosecutors to
defray salaries and expenses of the prosecutor’s office, but specifically states that
the funds may not be used to supplement the salary of the District Attorney.
A third degree felony is punishable under Texas law by 2 to 10 years in the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice and a fine of up to $10,000. A state jail felony is
punishable by up to 2 years in a state jail facility and a fine of up to $10,000.
