Former Narcotics Unit officer resigns, sentenced for count of violation of oath

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A former member of the Warner Robins Police Department’s Narcotics Investigations Unit has resigned following an investigation by the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, according to a release by the city.

John Tyler Harvey submitted his resignation on May 25, the same day as a plea hearing with Houston County Superior Court.

According to a release by the District Attorney’s Office, during the hearing, Harvey was sentenced for one count of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer to a five-year probated sentence, where he must voluntarily give up POST Certification and cannot hold a position of public trust.

The charge comes from a month-long investigation from the DA’s office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

At the hearing, it was said on record that on March 31 of this year, the NIU had conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with two people, believed to have had methamphetamine. The NIU recovered fentanyl, but did not find methamphetamine.

The two occupants of the vehicle were booked on varied charges, while one was named a confidential informant in exchange for leniency. The informant was instructed by Harvey to conduct business as usual and sell the remaining methamphetamine.

On April 11, the informant answered to a violation of probation, telling the probation office that they were forced to work and told to sell the methamphetamine in their possession. The same day, a third party alerted the DA’s office of the situation.

Investigators from the DA’s office recovered text messages from the informant’s phone and Harvey’s city issued phone, discussing how much methamphetamine was left and how much the informant owed the dealer.

Through text, Harvey had also asked the informant to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine from the dealer, with the informant explaining that they could purchase fentanyl.

Also said on the record was that the case remains ongoing, but evidence does not suggest a systemic or ongoing issue with the police department or any other county agency. Additionally, the evidence suggested the incident was isolated for both the NIU and the defendant.

Earlier, the six officers on the NIU were placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Four members have since returned to work, while the remaining officer remains on leave pending the investigation’s outcome.

Interim Police Chief Roy Whitehead issued a statement on the matter, reaffirming a commitment from the department for professionalism and integrity.

“While his intentions may have been without malice, his actions were contrary to the principles and responsibilities we uphold as law enforcement officers,” Whitehead said. “We understand the impact such incidents can have on public trust, and we assure our community members that the WRPD will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our officers uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and public service.”

District Attorney William Kendall also released a statement on the investigation and Thursday’s hearing: “Those who hold positions of public trust should be held to a high standard. In this case, a public officer failed to meet that standard, and violated his oath and the trust the public has granted him. In this case there were text messages, witness testimony, testimony from other Officers and video evidence that support the charge and the allegations that the informant was being allowed to sell some 10-16 ounces of methamphetamine to make good with the informant’s drug supplier.

“These sales were not ‘controlled’ in any way and no arrests were made in connection with those sales. Although Harvey’s intention to go after a high-level drug supplier may have been well-meaning, endorsing and allowing an informant to sell poison to pay off a debt is not conduct commensurate with the laws of this State. Although I believe this is not a systemic issue, I do recognize that it hurts public trust and rightfully so. By and large our law enforcement in Houston County are good public servants who do the job without cutting corners or breaking laws, and one bad actor does not mean all law enforcement are bad.

“There are some, just as in any profession, who will cause public distrust, but they in no way make up the majority or even a meaningful percentile. This plea removed a bad actor from positions of public trust, as should be the case. As my office continues to seek justice and serve the victims of Houston County, we too will do our part to ensure justice is sought with professionalism, tact and in accordance with the laws of this State.”

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