Suspended Granville sheriff facing more charges

Almost two years after his initial indictment, more charges have been filed against Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins.

Posted 7:55 p.m. Jun 22, 2021 — Updated 10:28 p.m. Jun 22, 2021

Cullen Browder

, WRAL anchor/reporter

OXFORD, N.C. — Almost two years after his initial indictment, more charges have been filed against Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins.

Wilkins was initially indicted in September 2019 on two counts of obstruction of justice. He is accused of urging someone in 2014 to kill a deputy he thought was about to expose his alleged use of racially offensive language.

Wilkins later agreed to a suspension while the criminal case played out, and officials appointed a new sheriff.

On Monday, a grand jury indicted him on two counts each of obstruction of justice and failing to discharge his duties. One count of each charge is connected to the sheriff's office drug unit, while the other two charges are related to improper approval of gun permits.

Shortly after Wilkins was charged two years ago, state and federal investigators began looking into the operations of the drug unit. FBI and State Bureau of Investigation agents are tracking money seized and used by investigators in drug cases.

A previous report from WRAL Investigates found drug investigators in the Granville County Sheriff’s Office didn’t keep track of how much money was paid to informants and that members may have illegally coerced people into becoming informants.

Cpl. Bryan Carey, fourth from left, and Sgt. Chad Coffey, second from right, flank Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins as the sheriff's office drug unit poses with drugs seized in a 2018 bust. (Photo from Facebook)

District Attorney Mike Waters told SBI investigators that his office had to dismiss more than 100 criminal cases in 2017 because the drug unit didn’t document any of its interactions with a frequent informant, including any agreements with him, how much he was paid or who was to be targeted in undercover drugs buys.

A member of the drug unit, Sgt. Chad Coffey, was indicted last year on charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to deliver cocaine, embezzlement and altering or destroying evidence.

Both Wilkins and Coffey have denied any wrongdoing.

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