Published: July 03, 2008 02:58 am         

Sheriff completes investigation of commissioner

PALESTINE — The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office has completed its investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Anderson County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ronny Smith and presented the case to the district attorney’s office.

Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor confirmed late Wednesday that his agency had finished its inquiry into alleged misconduct by Smith. The investigation began almost four months ago and included interviewing “dozens” of individuals, according to the sheriff.

The sheriff said the case has been filed with the Anderson County district attorney’s office as abuse of official capacity between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony punishable by six months-to-two years in state jail and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

The investigation began in mid-March when Taylor said his agency was contacted by a private citizen who complained that he had observed an Anderson County precinct 3 road & bridge crew hauling dirt from a work site on CR 314 to private property off of U.S. 175 owned by Smith.

Smith has acknowledged that several dozen loads of what he described as “junk dirt” was dumped in a ravine on his property inside the Frankston city limits. He, however, has indicated he was unaware the practice might be illegal, claiming the dirt had no monetary value.

“This is not road material,” Smith said at the beginning of the investigation, “it’s just junk.”

Although the investigation initially revolved around the alleged hauling of dirt to private property, Taylor said it expanded as sheriff’s Capt. Tommy Barr, the case’s lead investigator, conducted interviews.

“As the investigation unfolded, there’s going to be other allegations that the grand jury is going to have to consider involving other property and materials belonging to the county,” said Taylor, declining to provide specifics. “...Other allegations have come to light. We have interviewed dozens of people gathering facts and evidence.”

Reached by telephone Wednesday afternoon, Anderson County District Attorney Doug Lowe said he would first have to decide whether to ask that a special prosecutor be appointed to represent the state in the case.

Lowe said his office was presently “snowed under” by its significant caseload.

When asked by the Herald-Press if it might be a few months before Smith’s case went to the grand jury, Lowe responded, “Yes.”

The district attorney also said Smith’s status as an elected official would not grant him any preferential treatment in the case.

“I think that’s the way we’ve tried to run our business over here,” Lowe said. “I hope that’s the perception (of the public).”

Smith, who is former mayor of Frankston and also served on the school board there, was defeated by Kenneth Dickson this past April in the Republican runoff for precinct 3 commissioner, denying him a second term.

The allegations arose between the primary election in mid-March and the runoff election four weeks later.

Earlier this year, Smith said some felt “politics” was the impetus behind the inquiry.

Taylor, however, said his office was simply doing its job.

“It had nothing to do with the election,” Taylor said. “It was us handling a complaint. If we’re able to substantiate a complaint, we follow through on it and that’s what we do. On our end, it had nothing to do with politics. We were just answering a complaint.”

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

     

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