CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Sheriff Eric Watson arrived at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office on Friday morning, was booked into his own jail and posted bond on six felony counts, then went back to work.
The charges – six counts of knowingly holding or using forged or falsified car titles – arise from a Times Free Press investigation published in December into Watson’s unlicensed used car sales.
The charges are Class E felonies, each punishable by one to six years in prison and fines of up to $3,000.
None of the charges brought Wednesday by the Bradley County grand jury relate to any other allegations of misconduct by Watson that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been looking into for 13 months. The special prosecutor in the case, 4th Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn, did not reply Friday when asked whether the investigation is over or if more charges are possible.