MONTEREY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A police chief in Putnam County is now indicted after an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office for using a trip to Gatlinburg more as a vacation than training.
The state announced Wednesday that Monterey Police Bill Randolph allegedly misappropriated around $2,300 for a law enforcement training conference in Gatlinburg in 2022. Investigators said that he didn't attend the conference, and he instead went shopping with wife and to restaurants.
Investigators from the comptroller's office said he submitted documentation for attending via another officer who gave him the QR codes to log his time, totaling 36 hours of time he was supposed to have trained.
“This investigation raises several ethical concerns,” said Comptroller Mumpower. “By engaging his subordinates in his actions, the chief abused his position, and he has potentially damaged the public trust in the management of the department.”
The Putnam County Grand Jury indicted Bill Randolph on one count of theft of property over $1,000, three counts of official misconduct, one count of forgery over $1,000, one count of false entries in governmental records and one count of violation of the Tennessee Personal and Commercial Computer Act of 2003.
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Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
