LIBERTY, Texas – A former Liberty, Texas police lieutenant is accused of using his badge to make thousands of extra dollars over more than two years, according to court documents and a KPRC 2 source.
Philip Fairchild, 56, was charged with abuse of official capacity after being arrested on Friday. He allegedly used the police department TLOXP database to conduct background investigations for private organizations, according to court documents.
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“It would go beyond a regular criminal history check, it would be a more extensive criminal history check that would invade people’s privacy,” former Houston police officer and now lawyer Tom Nixon told KPRC 2. “It can’t be for extra jobs. It can’t be for a private employer. It can’t be for a third party that has an interest in a person.”
He charged $50 per background check, and investigators have documented at least 79 background checks that he completed for pay, but there may be more, a source told KPRC 2.
Court documents indicate the alleged side hustle went on from Nov. 24, 2020 through May 25, 2023.
The scheme came to light after the discovery of invoices that showed Fairchild had been charging for the background checks, the source said.
The Texas Rangers began investigating Fairchild in June. It’s still considered an active investigation.
The database has records of protected victims of sexual offenses, Nixon said, which adds to the concern of that information ending up in the wrong hands.
“It makes people doubt that police officers are being properly supervised in handling people’s sensitive and confidential information,” Nixon said. “It causes people to hesitate to want to talk to the police if they think their information could be abused in the future.”
Fairchild is out of jail on a personal bond.
He called the allegations “illegitimate” and a “bogus mess” when contacted by KPRC 2′s Bryce Newberry on Monday evening, but he declined to share any more.
It’s unclear if Fairchild resigned or retired, and if that happened before or after the alleged side hustle came to light. KPRC 2 has requested those additional details from the police chief.