ONLY ON 3: Bladen deputy who spoke out loses job

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Controversy continues inside the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. A longtime deputy says he was fired for doing the right thing.

Former Sgt. Gary Edwards is the same deputy who spoke exclusively to WWAY in July about the inner workings of the Sheriff’s Office when Earl Storms took over as interim sheriff. There was speculation then about why Storms let five deputies go for no reason.

Edwards said current Sheriff Prentis Benston let him go for blowing the whistle on the Sheriff’s Office when Storms was in office.

“My thoughts are that it was the statements I made about Earl Storms when he was sworn in and let them five go,” Edwards said. “We had a meeting that night telling us that he had that meeting saying he done what he done to cover his rear-end.”

Edwards said he does not regret blowing the the whistle on the Sheriff’s Office. He feels the tax payers in Bladen County deserve to know what their elected officials are doing whether it’s good or bad.

Benston told us today he decided not to swear in Edwards because “his services were no longer needed.”