Sheriff Jason Bradley Boulton faces counts tied to alleged falsified time sheets, a drug-related incident and a false statement during an investigation.
HAMILTON, TX — Hamilton County Sheriff Jason Bradley Boulton was arrested Jan. 8 and booked into the Coryell County Jail on multiple charges, including tampering with government records, abuse of official capacity, failure to report a felony and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer, authorities said. His bail was set at $110,000 and he later posted bond, according to arrest records.
The case places the county’s top law enforcement official under criminal scrutiny in a region where the sheriff’s office oversees patrol and jail operations across a largely rural swath of Central Texas. State investigators say the charges stem from a series of incidents spanning late 2024 through late 2025, beginning with community service paperwork and extending to how a potentially dangerous drug matter was handled. The Texas Rangers are leading the inquiry. County leaders say the investigation is ongoing, and no timeline for completion has been given.
According to arrest affidavits filed in Coryell County, investigators allege Boulton knowingly entered false information on a Monthly Community Service Time Sheet by adding eight hours that were not fully worked by a probationer on Oct. 4 and 5, 2024, as well as Dec. 9 and 13, 2024, and March 12, 2025. The affidavit further states that on May 5, 2025, he violated provisions related to the handling of a dangerous drug, including language about possessing, promoting or facilitating delivery, or tampering with a government record. On July 1, 2025, investigators say he failed to immediately report a felony “in which serious bodily injury or death may have resulted,” tied to the alleged delivery of a dangerous drug or practicing medicine without a license. On Oct. 17, 2025, he is accused of telling an investigating peace officer that he was unaware of any Hamilton County deputies or public officials who were using GLP-1 substances — a statement the affidavit characterizes as false. “The investigation remains active,” the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a brief statement, adding that no additional details would be released at this time.
Court records list five counts of tampering with government records and three counts of abuse of official capacity among the allegations, alongside one count of failing to report a felony and one count of making a false statement to a peace officer. The charges were filed after interviews, document reviews and coordination with local authorities, according to the affidavits. Boulton, 54, took office as sheriff on Oct. 1, 2024, following the county’s regular election cycle. He was arrested by Texas Rangers and transported to the Coryell County facility, where booking records reflect the $110,000 bail total. Officials did not release a detailed inventory of seized materials or a full list of witness statements. County Judge James Yates said he would not comment while the investigation is unresolved.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is headquartered at 1108 S. Rice St. in Hamilton, a city of about 3,000 people west of Waco. The agency typically handles patrol, civil process and jail duties for the county, which has fewer than 10,000 residents. Boulton’s arrest comes as rural law enforcement agencies across Texas continue to face staffing, recruitment and funding challenges. Public records show Boulton’s tenure began a year earlier with routine administrative changes. There is no prior public disciplinary history for Boulton listed in the affidavits, and no internal policy memos have been publicly released addressing the allegations. The documents do not name the probationer connected to the time-sheet entries, nor do they identify the specific drug at issue beyond the “dangerous drug” description in the complaint language.
Legal proceedings will move next through Coryell County, where the arrest paperwork was filed, and any potential indictment would be considered by a grand jury before the case proceeds to trial. Prosecutors could seek to consolidate the counts or supersede them as the Texas Rangers’ inquiry develops. No initial court date was posted with the arrest summary made public this week. If Boulton is formally charged by indictment, the court would schedule an arraignment and pretrial deadlines. State officials said additional investigative steps include follow-up interviews and document collection. County commissioners have not announced any changes to sheriff’s office leadership or operations while the case is pending, and no suspension notice has been filed in open records made available so far.
Outside the brick sheriff’s office just off South Rice Street, a handful of residents stopped to read posted notices and ask deputies about day-to-day services. One resident said the news “landed like a thunderclap” in a small community where people often know one another by name. Another, who declined to give a full name, said the office “still answered calls promptly” on Thursday and Friday. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office did not respond to messages requesting comment on staffing or patrol schedules. “We’re cooperating with the Rangers,” a deputy at the front counter said, declining to discuss the affidavit language. No defense attorney of record was listed in booking summaries by press time.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Texas Rangers’ investigation remains open, and county officials have not released a hearing date. Any grand jury consideration would be scheduled by prosecutors in the coming weeks. The sheriff’s office continues routine operations under existing command staff. Further updates are expected when the state investigation reaches its next milestone or when court settings are posted.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.