Southport police officer appears in court, affidavit reveals more details

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The Southport police officer arrested last week appeared in court Tuesday.

Lieutenant Michael Simmons was arrested Thursday, along with Southport Police Chief Gary Smith, after an investigation by the SBI, FBI, and district attorney’s office.

Simmons is charged with felony conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense as well as obstruction of justice and failure to discharge duties.

In court, Simmons told the judge he would hire his own attorney. He also received a new court date on September 11.

The investigation into Smith and Simmons began several months ago.

According to the search warrant affidavit, a source told the SBI that Chief Smith and Lt. Simmons were working with Oak Island Transport, hauling trailers of cargo to areas all over North and South Carolina.

They allegedly began working the second job in February 2018.

The source revealed that approximately twice a week, Smith or Simmons would request an officer from Southport PD to drive them in a police vehicle to their trucking job. The request was either made in person or through a call on their work cell phones.

The source said they would drop them off at the truck yard on Leonard Street and about an hour later, they would return to pick them up.

The source also claims that other times, Smith or Simmons would leave their police job to work for the trucking company and just not return to work.  When the source would call and ask where they were, Simmons or Smith would say they were “making a run.”

On March 7, a NC State Trooper stopped Simmons on Highway 74 in Columbus County around 2:30 p.m. and cited him with two traffic violations. Simmons was driving a tractor trailer at the time. Simmons’ daily officer’s activity report for that day indicated he was community policing from 8 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

The affidavit also states there is video surveillance of the men at the truck yard in their police uniforms, as well as coming and going from the yard while they were allegedly on the job.

During a news conference last week, it was announced that the entire department had to suspend operations and all officers put on administrative leave.

The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is taking over policing for the time being.