A liberal sheriff in North Carolina has been hit with a litany of allegations of serious, widespread criminal corruption.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, a Democrat, is facing a sweeping court petition that seeks his removal from office over what petitioners describe as a pattern of corruption, retaliation, and abuse of power.
The petition was filed in Mecklenburg Superior Court under North Carolina law, which allows for the removal of certain elected officials for willful misconduct, maladministration, corruption, or extortion.
McFadden has served as sheriff of Mecklenburg County, which includes the city of Charlotte, since 2018.
The removal effort was initiated by five Mecklenburg County electors, including State Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-NC), along with four former employees of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Among the former officials signing onto the petition is Kevin Canty, who previously served as chief deputy.
The filing levels a series of serious allegations, describing McFadden’s conduct as “mafia-style” governance marked by intimidation, misuse of public resources, and targeted retaliation.
According to the petition, Cunningham alleges that during a July 2025 phone call, McFadden pressured her to oppose or withdraw support for House Bill 318, legislation that would require local sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.
During that call, McFadden allegedly warned that people in her district would “come after” her if she supported the bill and added:
“I don’t want to see you get hurt. You live in my county.”
The petition characterizes the remarks as an implied threat, likening the exchange to the message of a mob boss:
“Nice little store you’ve got there, it would be a shame if anything happened to it.”
Beyond the alleged intimidation, the filing accuses McFadden of directing deputies to misuse official vehicles to transport National Sheriffs’ Association officials to bars and strip clubs during a conference in Charlotte.
Other claims include using the sheriff’s office IT staff to work on his campaign website and improperly using department credit cards for personal travel upgrades.
The petition further alleges that McFadden weaponized the internal affairs unit to pursue investigations against employees he disliked while shielding favored staff from scrutiny.
Additional accusations include retaliation against whistleblowers and crime victims, lax enforcement of jail safety policies, favoritism in promotions, and directing unpaid reserve deputies to work events he attended, including parades at Johnson C. Smith University.
The court petition asks a Superior Court judge to determine whether McFadden should be removed from office based on the totality of the allegations.
Under North Carolina law, such proceedings require approval from the district attorney or county attorney and can result in a formal hearing if the claims are deemed legally sufficient.
Although all five petitioners are Democrats, the allegations have triggered broader scrutiny.
The Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly has launched its own inquiry, and the legislature’s Oversight Committee has summoned McFadden to testify on January 22, 2026, regarding public safety and his department’s operations.
In parallel, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to review the allegations, particularly potential criminal conduct involving extortion, bribery, campaign finance violations, and misuse of public resources.
The SBI confirmed that its Professional Standards Unit is actively investigating the matter.
McFadden has denied the allegations, calling the petition a politically motivated attack.
“The petition is nothing but a smear campaign designed just before the election,” McFadden said in a statement.
“It is filled with lies, and we welcome the investigation, and we respect the investigation that will be occurring.”
The case now moves forward in court, with the potential to remove one of North Carolina’s largest county sheriffs from office if the allegations are substantiated.
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