MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee Comptroller's investigation has led to indictments against two Monroe County Sheriff's Department employees accused of allowing a trusty inmate to work on private property.
A "trusty" is an inmate who has been deemed trustworthy enough by jail officials to receive certain privileges and work assignments that are not available to other inmates. According to the Comptroller's report, the inmate in this case was authorized to perform unpaid work for the benefit of Monroe County.
According to a report released Thursday, the Comptroller's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated allegations of malfeasance within the Monroe County Sheriff's Department involving fleet manager Neal Townsend and part-time garage mechanic Jamey "Lee" Frank.
Investigators found that a trusty inmate assigned to the department's maintenance garage was allegedly transported from an approved work location and taken to a privately owned watercraft repair business where Townsend and Frank also worked.
The report states video footage showed Frank transporting and working alongside the inmate at the business. Investigators said the inmate worked on watercraft equipment and vehicles and also helped raise a sunken boat for a nearby marina. A marina employee told investigators the boat was not government property.
Investigators also found the inmate allegedly operated a county vehicle and a golf cart without supervision, used tobacco products while working at the business, and that Frank had not completed required inmate-supervision training.
Frank was incarcerated at the Monroe County Detention Facility from August 2019 until July 2024. After being released on parole, the sheriff's department hired him as a part-time garage mechanic the following month. During the investigation period, Townsend supervised both Frank and the trusty inmate.
A Monroe County grand jury indicted Frank on April 1, 2026, on one count each of official misconduct and unlawful use of inmates. Townsend was indicted on the same charges on May 6, 2026.
The indictments allege the two men knowingly violated laws related to their employment and unlawfully allowed an inmate to work on private property between May 23 and May 27, 2025.
The Comptroller's Office also identified several internal control deficiencies, including a lack of documented procedures for vehicle assignments, tracking inmate movement between work locations and managing keycard access.
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