A former Chief Deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has been indicted on charges of forgery and theft.
Those with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said they began looking into fraud allegations against 62-year-old Gerald Baer in January 2015 with the help of those with the State Comptroller of the Treasury.
At the start of the investigation, Baer was the Chief Deputy of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Throughout the investigation, agents learned Baer had used the county gas card for personal use. He had also allegedly used money from the department’s drug fund.
An audit confirmed that Baer misappropriated around $7,700 between July 2008 and November 2013.
According to reports, Baer left the sheriff’s office in May 2016.
The Wayne County Grand Jury returned the indictment on Thursday charging Baer with two counts of theft over $1,000, 111 counts of forgery, and one count of official misconduct.
Authorities said Baer turned himself in to TBI agents Friday. He was booked into the Wayne County Criminal Justice Complex where he was released after posting a $75,000 bond.
