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Investigation finds analyst fabricated sampling record in Weslaco seized‑drugs sampling; commission suspends license until expiry and bars reinstatement for two
Summary
An investigation into a seized‑drugs sampling event at the DPS Weslaco lab found that an analyst presented a fabricated random‑sampling form; the commission approved a suspension until the license's June expiry and directed a two‑year bar on reinstatement.
The Texas Forensic Science Commission adopted an investigative report on Jan. 31, 2025 finding that an analyst at the DPS Weslaco seized‑drugs section fabricated a random sampling form used in a large evidence submission.
According to the commission's report, the Weslaco seized‑drugs section used a documented sampling plan that relied on a random number generator form to select which units to test in large submissions. In the matter under review staff found evidence that an analyst had misplaced or lost an original randomly generated form and then presented a modified form to technical review that matched already‑tested exhibits. The technical reviewer noticed inconsistencies — including a mismatch in the total number of units listed — and raised the issue. Subsequent inquiry led to the conclusion that entries had been manipulated and that the analyst presented the altered document as if it were the original record.
Commission staff concluded the conduct constituted a fabrication of a case document and a deviation from the standard of care and the commission's code of professional responsibility. Because the matter involved intentional alteration of the official record, the report recommended disciplinary action. The commission voted to suspend the analyst's license until its June 2025 expiration and to bar any reinstatement or relicensure attempts for two years (through June 2027). The analyst had resigned from the laboratory and the license was described as inactive at the time of the vote.
Commissioners and staff praised the Weslaco laboratory for catching the anomaly in technical review, for notifying management and for cooperating with the commission's inquiry. The report did not make broader accreditation recommendations because staff determined the incident to be isolated rather than systemic.
