A Burkburnett man has been charged with impersonating a public servant or peace officer after police say he posed as a Burkburnett detective in text messages to a woman tied to a theft investigation, according to court records reviewed by Texoma's Homepage.
Joshua John Smith was booked into the Wichita County Jail on Friday, April 24, 2026, and released on a $75,000 bond.
What the affidavit alleges
The Burkburnett Police Department was contacted on Thursday, April 16, by an employee of Tractor Supply who said she received an anonymous tip that a log splitter had been stolen from the store on April 1. The tipster said the log splitter was at a residence on Avenue S in Wichita Falls and was in Smith's possession but that he had not stolen it.
A detective spoke with Smith by phone the same day, according to the affidavit. Police say Smith said he had received the log splitter in exchange for yard work and confirmed where it was. Smith then called the detective back from a different phone number — a TextNow number — and sent a photo of the log splitter from that line.
Police say the detective was later forwarded an email from the Tractor Supply employee saying she had been contacted by someone claiming to be a detective with the Burk PD. The detective recognized the number as the TextNow number Smith had used. Investigators also learned the Tractor Supply employee knew Smith personally.
The next day, detectives met with Smith at Atwoods to seize the log splitter. According to the affidavit, when confronted, Smith "not only admitted he did do that, he allowed me to take photographs of the conversation." The detective says he reviewed messages telling the woman directly, "You're not in any kind of trouble… You're involved with your boyfriend's investigation."
Court documents say Smith has charges of stalking with a previous conviction and violation of a bond or protective order currently pending in Wichita County.
All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.