In this file photo, Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis, right, presents Bradley County Financial Director Lynn Burns with the the county’s seventh Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – A former Bradley County finance department employee is under investigation, accused of using county money for personal use.
The employee, who resigned last week and has not been identified, has been under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation since July 11 in response to a request from the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said.
The employee is alleged to have used “several thousand dollars” in county money to buy office supplies and have those items shipped to the employee’s home address, Helm said.
A number of billing discrepancies involving the former employee were discovered and reported by Financial Director Lynn Burns on July 5, Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis said.
Davis said he instructed Burns to continue checking into the matter and bring it to the attention of Bradley County Attorney Crystal Freiberg, who was on vacation until July 8. After she reviewed the questionable items with Burns and Davis, Freiberg contacted the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on July 9 or 10, Davis said.