ROXBORO — The former district attorney for two North Carolina counties is being investigated for impersonating a police officer and seeking help on Election Day from people for whom he dismissed minor charges.

The allegations were unveiled on Tuesday as a State Bureau of Investigation agent filed a search warrant in Person County in the probe into former prosecutor Joel Brewer, who retired as DA for Person and Caswell counties on March 1.

A judge on Monday ruled the warrant should be released as long as some information was redacted.

The warrant states that an agent seized a gold-colored badge wirth Brewer’s name on it and two folders containing copies of old citations.

Brewer’s attorney, George Daniel, declined comment.

Prosecutors were given 48 hours to release the warrant against Brewer after redacting two paragraphs from an affidavit filed by the lead investigator in the case that judge Gary Trawick said contain conclusions on what crimes may have been committed and facts that weren’t necessary to issue the warrant.

“They go to matters that are highly prejudicial and could ruin a man’s reputation,” Trawick said.

The whole affidavit will be released if charges are filed against Brewer, Trawick ruled.

Senior deputy attorney general Jim Coman confirmed state agents are investigating Brewer and he expects charges to be filed against the former lead prosecutor for Person and Caswell counties.

But he wouldn’t give any details about what Brewer might have done, saying any information will be released Tuesday when SBI agents file the warrant Tuesday in Person County, about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh.

Lawyers for Brewer wanted the warrant sealed, saying releasing the information could embarrass others named in the document and could make it impossible if he is charged to get a fair trial in Person County, where he lives with about 37,500 other people.

That left prosecutors in the unusual position of asking to be allowed to release information to the public.

Coman argued the warrant should be public just like any other and suggested Brewer was just trying to avoid his own personal humiliation.

Few details about the warrant came out during a hearing Monday held in N.C. Superior Court in Union County just east of Charlotte because that’s where Trawick, who issued the original warrant, was hearing cases this week.

Lawyers for both sides spoke vaguely about two items seized like adults trying to discuss private details around children.

Daniel said at various times during his 20-minute argument that releasing the information would be “devastating,” “detrimental” and “inflammatory” not just for Brewer, but for people who were questioned by agents and named in the papers.

“This is the buzz of the town. Mr. Brewer has a family. And the people listed here shouldn’t necessary be the coffee shop gossip,” said James “Butch” Williams, another of Brewer’s attorneys.

Coman said releasing the warrant to the public would not affect the investigation and suggested Brewer was upset because the justice system was being used against him.

“He’s wanting preferential treatment,” Coman said. “If this was Joe Blow in Roxboro and this very same search warrant with the same affidavit attached to it was filed, it would be filed. There wouldn’t be any hearing. There wouldn’t be any argument.”

Daniel said he didn’t plan to appeal the ruling. He refused to speak on behalf of his client or give any details about the investigation. Brewer hasn’t been charged with any crimes.