A public defender in Texas was booked into jail last week for allegedly having a “personal relationship” with an inmate, police say.
Ragan Sierra Moreno, 28, was charged with abuse of official capacity Sept. 14, according to Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Moreno had worked as a public defender for Dallas County for eight months before her arrest.
Authorities say that a detention officer first noticed Moreno spending “an inordinate amount of time” with inmate Todd Whitfield, who was not her client.
“After investigating the matters, DSO determined that Moreno had a personal relationship with the inmate,” the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “She apparently used her Dallas County ID to gain access to the inmate and criminal records of another inmate.”
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Ragan Sierra Moreno, left is accused of having a personal relationship with Todd Whitfield. (Dallas County Sheriff’s Office)
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX 4 Dallas, investigators determined that Moreno was in a relationship with Todd after obtaining his call logs. They noted that “the content of their phone conversation is suspiciously personal.”
Authorities also accused Moreno of using her ID to access records for Todd’s brother, Zion, who is also incarcerated. The suspect allegedly held a three-way call with the brothers and revealed the names of the complainants in Zion’s assault cases.
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Authorities also accused Moreno of using her ID to access records for Todd’s brother, Zion Whitfield. (Dallas County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the affidavit, Todd allegedly sent a threat to one of the victims after he learned their identity. The text read: “I swear before Christ you haven’t met me, but you will and how you meet me depends all on you.”
It is unclear if Moreno is still employed as a public defender. Fox News Digital reached out to the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, but has not heard back.
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Moreno had worked as a public defender for Dallas County. (Google Maps)
After being booked into jail, Moreno posted a bond of $5,000. There are no additional details about the incident at this time.
