Pflugerville Probe Centered On Longtime Police Force Lieutenant

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- The police department has launched an internal affairs investigation with help from outside investigators centered on on a Pflugerville Police Department veteran, city officials confirmed Thursday.

The unspecified nature of the investigation centers on allegations centered on Lt. Laura Wilkes, who has been with the local force since March 1992 and currently manages the records division, city spokeswoman Terri Toledo said in an email. Toledo said outside investigators were brought in last week to assist in the probe at the request of the city manager.

But officials provided no other details as to the nature of the investigation, although they did provide, unprompted, a photo of Wilkes.

"Due to my desires to do a timely, thorough and fair investigation, the city of Pflugerville has hired an independent, nationally certified internal affairs investigator supervised by the city attorney’s office,” city manager Brandon Wade said in a prepared statement via email. “Because of information regarding a Lieutenant, I determined we needed an outside individual to conduct this investigation.”

Toledo told Patch the investigation is separate from a concurrent probe centered on an undisclosed amount of missing money from the Pflugerville Police Department police evidence room. On Wednesday, city officials confirmed a Texas Rangers investigation was under way in the missing money case.

"I can confirm that an external investigation is going on conducted by the Texas Rangers," Toledo said in an email in response to questions. "When the report is complete, it will be made public," she added, noting the probe is expected to be completed by January.

It was unknown when the concurrent investigation involving Wilkes might be completed. Toledo noted that the investigation into Wilkes does not involve her brother-in-law, Daryl Wilkes, who also is a lieutenant for the Pflugerville Police Department.

>>> Photo courtesy of City of Pflugerville