Officials involved in the investigation that led to a nine-count indictment against former Whitwell (Tenn.) police Chief Rodney Easterly remained tight-lipped on Friday about details in the case.
Easterly was freed Thursday on a $38,000 bond after turning himself in at the Marion County Jail. He’s charged with conspiracy to commit theft, possession of a controlled substance for resale, conspiracy of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, fraudulent receipt of food assistance, official misconduct, theft of property, coercion of a witness, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and possession of a firearm during the commission of attempt to commit a dangerous felony.
The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office over several months in 2016, according to a TBI statement issued late Thursday.
Easterly faces arraignment in Marion County Criminal Court on June 23, officials said.
The charges were handed down in a Marion County grand jury indictment on evidence presented by Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston’s office after 12th Judicial District Attorney General Mike Taylor’s office stepped aside. Taylor’s office has worked with the chief before on criminal cases since the Whitwell Police Department is within the 12th Judicial District’s six-county jurisdiction.