Constable Resigns After TCOLE Investigation Reveals He Fabricated Documents

On Monday, the Hays County Commissioners Court were slated for a special meeting to discuss the official written resignation of Ray Helm as Constable of Precinct 3.

Due to unknown circumstances, the commissioners were unable to make quorum requirements to meet the Texas Open Meetings act and were forced to cancel.

However, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra allowed residents who’d signed up to speak to share their comments with Commissioner Lon Shell and himself.

To meet with the Texas Open Meetings Act, the county did not record it. However, residents can watch the comments made on the video below, which was streamed live on the judge’s Facebook page. 

Hays County has posted an agenda for another special session scheduled for Friday, August 7, at 1 PM.

The agenda contains two items requested by Becerra including the discussions and possible action to accept the resignation of Ray Helm and appoint a new Hays County Constable Precinct #3.

Helm issued his resignation letter during the last week of July with an effective date of July 31.

By the end of business day, Friday, July 31, Helm had submitted a form to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement permanently surrendering every certificate and license issued to him through the commission.

According to a report by KXAN, the Texas Attorney General’s Office agreed to allow Helm to surrender his license and give up his career in law enforcement or face possible prosecution for his conduct while serving as Hays County Constable Precinct 3.

Helm has been under investigation by the TCOLE since February regarding fraudulent/fictitious training records.

The investigation began after a complaint was filed by a Wimberley resident, who reported Helm and three of his deputy constables had reported a 10-hour commercial shoot as a 5-hours of a drone training class.

According to TCOLE’s investigation, three Precinct 3 Deputies were taken off their regular duties to participate in their Hays County vehicles; during the shoot, the deputies were informed by the production crew that they were shooting a public service announcement and would acting out a missing person’s investigation using drones on April 10, 2018.

Hays County Deputy Constables Donny Torres and Cody Cheatham, and former Deputy Constable Gary Griffin said they had been told they would be filming a PSA or commercial and had not filled out any of the evaluations or signed a roster to receive training credit hours.

TCOLE investigators reported Helm presented them with completed evaluations, paperwork, and a digital roster for the ‘Training’ at his initial interview and later admitted that he noticed the evaluations had not been completed a week or two after film shoot.

TCOLE said in an interview with Helm, the constable ultimately admitted to fabricating the evaluation forms and the memorandum dated 4/18/18 regarding the alleged training, which was generated on or around Feb. 10, 2020.

TCOLE’s investigation was officially closed in March citing it had revealed the allegations against Helm regarding the submitted training records to TCOLE for April 10, 2018, had been fabricated.

Helm will not be able to serve in law enforcement in the State of Texas for the remainder of his life.

The Hays County Commissioners are projected to receive the names of the Democratic and Republican candidates selected by the Precinct 3 Party Chairs to be placed on the November 3 ballot.

In the meantime, the commissioners will be required to appoint an interim Hays County Constable for Precinct 3 to hold through the position through the remainder of Helm’s unexpired term, which ends January 1, 2021.

Commissioners must vote on the party candidates by Monday, August 17, for the names to be added to the ballot.

Helm, TCOLE, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office have declined to comment on the case, report or deal.  

The full TCOLE report and Helm’s resignation letter can be read below.