Former Brunswick County deputy indicted over alleged misuse of Flock camera system
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A former Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputy who resigned following an internal investigation into the alleged misuse of the agency’s Flock Safety camera system has now been indicted.
A Brunswick County grand jury indicted Daniel Heith Little on charges of felony accessing a government computer, misdemeanor misuse of an automated license plate reader system and misdemeanor willful failure to discharge duties.
According to the indictment, Little is accused of accessing and using the Flock Automated License Plate Reader System through a county-issued cellphone to obtain information associated with a North Carolina license plate without a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
The indictment alleges the activity occurred between Feb. 9 and Aug. 5 while Little was employed as a deputy with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.
The indictment was returned as a true bill by the grand jury.
The charges follow an internal investigation previously announced by Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism.
Chism said at the time that information discovered during a review of Flock system activity raised concerns about how an employee was using the technology.
An Internal Affairs investigation was launched, and the employee later resigned. The Sheriff’s Office also referred the matter to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for an independent review.
At the time, Chism did not identify the employee or provide details about the alleged misuse.
“One employee’s alleged misuse of a system should not be confused with the authorized use of that system by the men and women of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office who use the investigative tools appropriately every single day,” Chism said in announcing the investigation.
Chism previously said the Sheriff’s Office uses Flock cameras for law enforcement and investigative purposes and acknowledged community concerns about privacy, oversight and the use of license plate reader technology.
The Sheriff’s Office also said it would review its policies, practices, access controls and auditing procedures to determine whether additional safeguards were needed.
Court documents list Little’s next appearance in Brunswick County Superior Court for Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
An indictment is a formal accusation of a crime and is not a determination of guilt.
