KINGSPORT — A Kingsport Police Department officer who resigned before pleading no contest to forgery and criminal impersonation charges has issued a public apology to the former KPD officer implicated by his actions.
Bryan D. Carter, 35, pleaded no contest to forgery, a Class E felony, and criminal impersonation, a Class B misdemeanor, on Sept. 7 before Sullivan County Circuit Judge Jerry Beck.
Carter, a 14-year veteran of the KPD, had resigned and then turned himself in at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 4. His charges stemmed from an e-mail he sent via Gmail on May 8 that contained allegations against Kingsport Police Chief Gale Osborne.
Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus said a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe determined the e-mail had been generated by Carter, not former KPD Officer Jason McLain, whose name and badge number were contained in the e-mail address.
Attorney Matt King released the following statement from Carter on Tuesday morning at his client’s request:
“Due to the events that have unfolded over the past few months, I feel that I owe a public apology to Jason McLain and his family. I’ve known Jason for fourteen (14) years, and I served beside him as a Kingsport Police officer for six (6) of those years. Jason did not deserve or warrant the negative attention and false accusations that he received as a result of this incident, and the blame for that rests squarely on my shoulders. I want to make it perfectly clear to the public that Jason McLain had no involvement in the e-mail incident, and I feel that it is imperative for everyone to know and understand that fact. I truly regret involving Jason in this ordeal, and my deepest and sincere apologies go out to him and his family.”
The e-mail Carter sent was delivered to the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, the TBI and the Times-News, among others. It claimed Osborne misused police facilities and forces for personal gain — accusations Osborne asserted at the time were untrue, which was confirmed when a Sullivan County grand jury cleared Osborne of any wrongdoing earlier this month.
Staubus said Carter was identified as the sender of the e-mail after the TBI traced the IP address used to send the e-mail back to Carter’s personal phone.
Carter is currently set for a Nov. 1 judicial diversion hearing.