Former Game Warden Justin Eddins: Five Counties and Civil Suits

Former Texas game warden Justin Eddins, known to viewers of Animal Planet’s Lone Star Law, faces felony charges in five Texas counties tied to allegations of false statements on loan applications, unauthorized timber harvesting, and evidence tampering. As of mid-2026, he has pleaded not guilty through his attorney, has been released on bond in every county, and no trial dates or convictions have been reported. He also faces three civil lawsuits, one already resolved by a $400,000 agreed judgment against him.

His attorney, William Morian, has said the criminal charges do not involve misuse of authority in Eddins’ work as a game warden. Prosecutors allege the conduct arose from private real estate activity: buying, selling, and building homes.¹ Eddins served the state for more than 31 years, over 24 of them as a game warden in East Texas, and was removed from his position after the indictments began. Reporting has not clarified whether he resigned, retired, was placed on leave, or was fired.²

San Augustine County: The First Indictment

In October 2025, a San Augustine County grand jury charged Eddins with making a false statement to obtain credit. Prosecutors allege that between March 2022 and November 2023, Eddins created false documents to secure loans totaling between $150,000 and $300,000.³ He was booked into the San Augustine County Jail on October 28, 2025, and released the same day on a $50,000 bond.⁴

Sabine County: Four Loan-Related Indictments

A Sabine County grand jury returned three separate felony indictments in November 2025, each charging Eddins with making false statements to obtain credit. The charges involve loan applications at Sabine State Bank in Hemphill and Doches Credit Union in Nacogdoches. One of the indictments alleges that Eddins applied for credit using another person’s name for his own benefit. Bond was set at $10,000 per case.⁵

A fourth Sabine County indictment came on January 28, 2026. It alleges that on or about May 3, 2022, Eddins submitted a materially false written statement to Doches Credit Union by failing to report existing debt on a loan application seeking between $30,000 and $150,000.⁶ He was arrested on that charge on February 2, 2026, and released after posting a $10,000 bond.⁵

Jasper County: Timber, Bank Fraud, and Evidence Tampering

On January 16, 2026, a Jasper County grand jury returned three third-degree felony indictments. The first alleges that on September 14, 2024, Eddins harvested standing timber worth between $20,000 and $100,000 belonging to Kevin Gardner without the owner’s consent. Under Texas Natural Resources Code § 151.052, knowingly harvesting standing timber without permission is a felony, with the degree determined by the value taken.⁷⁸

The second Jasper indictment alleges that on November 27, 2024, Eddins made a materially false written statement to Southside Bank, failing to disclose personal debts to obtain a loan valued between $30,000 and $150,000. The third alleges he destroyed text messages with the intent to impair their availability as evidence.¹ Eddins turned himself in at the Jasper County Jail on January 21, 2026, and was released after his attorney posted bonds totaling $100,000.⁹

Jefferson County: The First-Degree Felony

The most serious charge came on January 28, 2026, when a Jefferson County grand jury indicted Eddins on a first-degree felony: false statement to obtain property or credit valued at $300,000 or more. A first-degree felony conviction in Texas carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.¹ Eddins surrendered at the Jefferson County Jail on February 2, 2026, posted a $100,000 bond, and was released the same morning.¹⁰

Smith County

Eddins also faces charges out of Smith County, one of the five counties where cases are pending against him. Reporting places the Southside Bank civil litigation in Smith County, though the specific criminal filing there has not been detailed in publicly available accounts beyond its inclusion in the five-county total.¹

The Gardner Land Dispute Behind the Timber Charge

The Jasper County timber charge is tied to a separate civil dispute Eddins himself started. In June 2025, Eddins sued Michael (Kevin) Gardner and Michelle Gardner in Jasper County District Court. He alleges that in July 2021, the Gardners agreed to obtain financing in their names through Texas Farm Credit to purchase a 268-acre tract on his behalf, and that he provided all down payments, closing costs, survey fees, and yearly note payments from 2022 through 2024, plus more than $500,000 in improvements. Eddins claims Gardner later asserted title and served him with a demand to vacate on May 16, 2025. The suit alleges breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and unjust enrichment.¹¹

The same Kevin Gardner is named in the Jasper County criminal indictment as the owner of the standing timber Eddins allegedly harvested without permission. The timber count and the civil dispute appear to concern the same land, with each side claiming the right to use it.

The Civil Suits

Three civil cases are on file. The first, brought by Aubrey and Tresa Webb in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on August 8, 2023, alleged that Eddins and Eddins Investments LLC solicited more than $328,000 from the Webbs’ retirement funds for residential construction in Jasper County on the promise of a $50,000 profit and repayment after property sales. The Webbs said they were not repaid as promised after at least one sale in January 2021. On January 31, 2025, the case was resolved through a First Amended Agreed Judgment ordering Eddins and Eddins Investments LLC to pay $400,000. The judgment is final, and the court retained jurisdiction to enforce it. No criminal findings were involved.¹²

Southside Bank has sued Eddins in the 114th Judicial District Court in Smith County, alleging default on two cross-collateralized loans. The bank says $159,016.79 is due on the first loan alone and seeks total damages exceeding $250,000. Eddins has filed a general denial, and the case remains active.¹²

Mark Domingue has sued Eddins in Jasper County District Court, alleging that Eddins failed to repay a $260,000 personal loan provided in June 2025 to help with a construction project. Domingue seeks damages exceeding $250,000. The case is pending.¹²

Where the Cases Stand and What Penalties Are Possible

As of mid-2026, no plea deals, trial dates, or convictions have been reported in any of the criminal cases. Eddins is presumed innocent, has pleaded not guilty, and has been released on bond in every county where he has been charged. He continues to be represented by William S. Morian Jr.¹² If convicted on the third-degree felony charges, he would face two to ten years in prison per count. The Jefferson County first-degree felony carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison.¹