Texas County Sheriff & Deputy Indicted Today

A grand jury handed up an indictment earlier today against the Texas County sheriff and his chief deputy.

Officers with the Missouri Highway Patrol arrested Sheriff James Sigman and Lieutenant Jennifer Tomaszewski Wednesday. They both face felony assault, felony first-degree robbery, felony first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, felony second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, felony unlawful use of a weapon, felony harassment, misdemeanor misuse of official information by a public servant, and misdemeanor false impersonation charges.

The state laid out this case this morning in court documents.

The attorney general’s office claims Sigman hired Lt. Tomaszewski as a jailer in December of 2016. The sheriff then promoted her as a jail administrator on July 12, 2017. After receiving her POST license after graduating from the sheriff’s academy, she then was named Texas County chief deputy. Investigators claim the two have been romantically linked since her first hiring date.

In court documents, investigators say Lt. Tomaszewski acted as an arresting deputy, despite her not commissioned to do so. Investigators say she used a gun to make an arrest. Investigators say Sheriff Sigman also used Lt. Tomaszewski as “bait” in undercover situations too.

Inmates in the jail told investigators Lt. Tomaszewski threatened them or used violent tactics. One told investigators she said, “(I’m going to put a (bleep) bullet in your head.” Investigators say another inmate, considered mentally disabled, was hit in the face by Lt. Tomaszewski while resisting arrest. The inmate was knocked unconscious in the altercation. One deputy said the video showed the inmate was choked. Another deputy told investigators, “If we hadn’t been there, they would have killed that boy.”

Investigators claim Sigman and Lt. Tomaszewski also brought a child to the jail, using it essentially as a care facility. Investigators say she was exposed to sexual predators and other violent offenders. The child also ate with inmates the state considers dangerous in the kitchen. Jail staff said there was nothing they could do out of fear of retribution.

Prosecutors have yet to charge Lt. Tomaszewski. She was booked into the Shannon County Jail.