UPDATE: The Wharton County Sheriff’s Office has disputed the allegations, saying surveillance video was reviewed and no crime or policy violation was found. The agency’s full response is included at the bottom of this article.
WHARTON — A Wharton County Jail inmate alleges that a maintenance employee cursed at him, threw a broken telephone toward him, struck him in the head and pushed him into jail bars after he asked the employee to stop yelling.
The allegations are detailed in a handwritten complaint received by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards on July 2, 2026. The inmate said the confrontation occurred around 8:30 a.m. June 25.
State records show that the commission subsequently sent correspondence concerning the complaint to the Texas Rangers, FBI, Wharton County sheriff and district attorney on July 28.
The allegations have not been independently verified. The records do not establish that a criminal investigation was opened or that charges were filed.
Inmate says confrontation began over loud yelling
According to the complaint, a maintenance employee identified as “Kelley” entered the inmate’s housing area with a trustee to replace broken telephones.
The inmate alleged that Kelley was yelling loudly enough to wake people who were sleeping. He wrote that he made a cup of coffee and politely asked Kelley to lower his voice because inmates were trying to sleep.
The inmate alleged that Kelley told him to “shut [his] bitch ass up and bond out.”
The inmate said he went to his room before returning to the dayroom to find a seat.
He alleged that Kelley then threw a broken telephone toward him and the trustee.
Complaint alleges employee struck inmate and pushed him into bars
The inmate wrote that Kelley called him a “scary bitch” when he returned to the dayroom.
He said he told Kelley that he was not scared, although he acknowledged in the complaint that he was frightened.
According to the inmate, Kelley then struck him in the head, knocking a cup of coffee out of his hand. The inmate alleged that Kelley called him the same name again and pushed him.
The complaint states that Kelley then grabbed the inmate, pushed him down a hallway and shoved him into jail bars.
The inmate wrote that the confrontation caused pain throughout his body.
In a handwritten note along the side of the complaint, he maintained that he did not raise his hand toward Kelley, disobey an order or disrespect him.
These statements are allegations made by the inmate, not independently established findings.
Inmate says he feared previous injuries were aggravated
The inmate reported that he had been involved in a vehicle crash before entering the jail.
He wrote that the crash left him with several broken ribs and injuries involving five discs in his spine. He said he had worn a body brace but had reached the point where he generally used it only when being transported outside the jail.
Following the alleged confrontation, the inmate wrote that he believed his back had been injured again, although he did not know how seriously.
The complaint does not include medical records confirming a new injury.
The inmate also alleged that he had previously complained to a jail captain about threats and other treatment by staff but felt nothing had been done.
He stated that he wanted to press charges and asked the commission for assistance.
State closes regulatory complaint but sends letters to law enforcement
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards received the handwritten complaint on July 2, according to its date stamp. An accompanying checklist categorized the matter as involving staff conduct and allegations of excessive force.
In correspondence dated July 28, complaint inspector Clarissa Fasci informed the inmate that the concerns might be criminal in nature and fell outside the commission’s regulatory authority.
The commission also issued letters to Wharton County Sheriff Shannon Srubar, the Wharton County District Attorney’s Office, the Texas Rangers and the FBI’s Houston field office.
Those letters stated that the inmate’s concerns might involve criminal conduct and that a copy of the complaint was enclosed. TCJS asked to be notified of the outcome if an investigation was initiated.
In a separate July 28 closure letter, the commission stated that its review found no violation of minimum jail standards. It closed the regulatory complaint while explaining that some allegations might be criminal and would be forwarded to law enforcement for review.
The commission’s closure does not establish whether the alleged confrontation occurred or whether a crime was committed.
Investigation status and employee’s identity remain unconfirmed
The documents reviewed by Wharton Post do not establish Kelley’s full name or confirm his official job title beyond the inmate’s description of him as a maintenance employee.
They also do not establish whether the sheriff’s office conducted an internal investigation, whether surveillance footage or medical records were reviewed, or whether Kelley faced disciplinary action.
Although the Texas Rangers and FBI were sent correspondence about the complaint, the records do not show that either agency opened an investigation.
No criminal charges or investigative findings have been confirmed from the records reviewed.
The documents do not include Kelley’s response to the allegations or a statement from the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office addressing what allegedly occurred.
The allegations remain unproven.
UPDATE: Sheriff’s Office Disputes Inmate’s Allegations
Sept. 22, 2026 — The Wharton County Sheriff’s Office has responded to Wharton Post’s request for comment, disputing the inmate’s allegations and stating that its review found no crime or policy violation.
According to the sheriff’s office, Chief Mican reviewed surveillance video after the agency was notified of the complaint filed with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
“The correctional officer did not throw a phone at the inmate nor did he strike the inmate in the head,” the sheriff’s office stated.
The agency provided a different account of the incident, saying the inmate approached the correctional officer from behind while the officer was working on a telephone in a cellblock common area.
According to the response, the inmate continued arguing, removed a dew rag from his head and approached the officer in a manner the agency interpreted as indicating he wanted to fight.
The sheriff’s office said the officer had repeatedly instructed the inmate to return to his cell before grabbing him and escorting him back.
The agency said the officer finished working on the telephone and left the cellblock.
The sheriff’s office also stated that the inmate was transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice four days after the incident to serve a court-ordered sentence. It said it had no knowledge of the medical issues described in the complaint.
Regarding the letters sent to outside agencies, the sheriff’s office stated that it had no knowledge of an FBI or Texas Rangers investigation and had not contacted the Rangers, district attorney or another agency about the incident.
Records obtained by Wharton Post show that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards separately sent letters to those agencies on July 28.
Wharton Post has not independently reviewed the surveillance footage. The inmate’s allegations and the sheriff’s office’s account remain conflicting descriptions of the incident.
Source: Inmate complaint and July 28 correspondence obtained by Wharton Post from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
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