In an unusual environmental crime, a former Italy City Council member faces charges he lied about demolishing a house that was burned and buried in 2019, according to his indictment and state regulators.
Paul Shearin, 51, was arrested last month by Italy police and spent six days in the Ellis County jail before he was released on $3,000 bond, according to jail records.
He’s charged with tampering with evidence, a felony.
According to his indictment, Shearin emailed an investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in September 2019 “knowing the information contained in the message was false, with (the) intent to affect the course or outcome of the investigation.”
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According to the TCEQ, it was investigating Shearin for burning and burying a demolished house in Italy when he provided “falsified physical evidence” to an investigator.
The alleged falsified evidence was a disposal receipt for the waste, TCEQ said.
The case was filed in Tarrant County because that’s where the investigator works and the email was sent, according to the indictment.
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Shearin’s attorney, Michael Crawford of Corsicana, issued a short statement.
"Mr. Shearin looks forward to his day in court," Crawford said. "We believe he will be acquitted of all charges."
TCEQ, the state environmental agency, regulates hazardous waste and the burning of a house or demolished house is prohibited, TCEQ said.
Shearin was an Italy city council member in 2019 but no longer serves in that role.
This story was updated with a comment from Shearin's attorney.
