In July 2022, former deputy Joseph Barnes Jr. was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to providing false statements to a federal officer. Barnes was found to have made multiple false statements regarding his awareness of local drug trafficking activities and his efforts to facilitate such conduct. Covert video footage showed Barnes inspecting a drug trafficker’s vehicle for GPS tracking devices and using his K-9 unit to detect hidden drugs, subsequently advising the trafficker on evading law enforcement detection. Following his arrest, Barnes was terminated from the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. ([wctv.tv](https://www.wctv.tv/2022/07/25/former-gadsden-county-deputy-sheriff-sentenced-false-statement/?utm_source=openai))
[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/joseph-barnes-jr-gadsden-county-sheriffs-office/)
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