A former McMinn County, Tenn., deputy sheriff is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, authorities said.
Justin Hester is being investigated by the TBI following complaints that Hester had taken prescription medications from suspects and failed to properly register them as evidence, McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said.
On Nov. 5, Guy received a complaint that prescription medications have possibly been taken during traffic stops that Hester conducted.
While department policy requires officers to document evidence and property taken from traffic stops and crime scenes, Guy said, there was no documentation about any medications taken during the traffic stops in question.
Guy said he thought the allegations were serious enough to refer to the TBI. Once the TBI finishes the investigation, it will present its findings to the district attorney general’s office.
Hester started working at the sheriff’s office in 2008 and resigned on Dec. 1.
Guy said Hester had made his desire to leave law enforcement known prior to the allegations.
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