Sheriff's employees may have profited during ammo shortage

[TripleDigitRide]

Why am I not surprised that their own internal investigation didn't turn up any wrongdoing.


 

Gulf States Distributors is Rutherford County's ammo contractor. Invoices show the company also sold about $75,000 worth of ammo privately to four employees in the sheriff's office. The bulk of it was sold to Maj. Jacoby O'Gwynn and Capt. Barry Hendrixson.

From February to May of 2013, Hendrixson bought more than $20,000 worth of ammo from Gulf States. O'Gwynn bought about $39,000 worth in two months.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/29019136/rutherford-co-sheriffs-employees-may-have-profited-during-ammo-shortage

 

Edited May 9, 2015 by TripleDigitRide

[Dustbuster]

If they used all that money to buy 270 as shown in the picture they probably didn't make much anyhow. 270 and 7 mm was the only thing left sitting on shelves during the shortage.
According to the policy published by the media it looks like a county employee can't even take a dump or get a drink of water while at work. something ain't right with this whole picture. But then again everyone's on a witchhunt at the sheriffs department in Rutherford County.... pretty sad

I really wish I team would get focused on Sumner County they already had one sheriff go to jail in the past,had county commissioners raise property taxes by 24% overnight,and the list goes on. Edited May 9, 2015 by Dustbuster

[TNWNGR]

I'd have to read the County and Rutherford County SO's policy and General Order's manuals to contemplate employee violations therein. The personal use of departmental e-mail and ordering ammunition for personal use is solely contestant upon how these policies are written. Now where this all gets interesting is did said information once purchased have tax stamps applied? Were sales taxes paid on follow on sales? Was income reported on Income Tax filings? Some officers are likely squirming in their seats now and may or may not have already been contacted by people you don't really want to meet when you skirt BATF & IRS matters.  

[A.J. Holst]

I'd have to read the County and Rutherford County SO's policy and General Order's manuals to contemplate employee violations therein. The personal use of departmental e-mail and ordering ammunition for personal use is solely contestant upon how these policies are written. Now where this all gets interesting is did said information once purchased have tax stamps applied? Were sales taxes paid on follow on sales? Was income reported on Income Tax filings? Some officers are likely squirming in their seats now and may or may not have already been contacted by people you don't really want to meet when you skirt BATF & IRS matters.

Agreed, violating department policy is the least of their worries.

Where's all the ammo, if you can't produce it, explain these unusual deposits in your account, where did that money come from, so it was from selling ammo...let's talk about tax stamps...by the way where are your dealer / business licenses issued by the appropriate state and federal agencies...

[Tncobra]

Forget the ammo, give me some Goodyears.

[Oh Shoot]

.....by people you don't really want to meet when you skirt BATF & IRS matters.

 

......by the way where are your dealer / business licenses issued by the appropriate state and federal agencies...

 

Just a note -- no federal license required to sell small arms ammo.

 

- OS

Edited May 10, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[gregintenn]

Just a note -- no federal license required to sell small arms ammo.

 

- OS

No, but someone will be expecting you to collect taxes on the sales.

[10-Ring]

The fact that an employee of the sheriff's department had that kind of extra cash laying around is enough to raise an eyebrow at.  Maybe he just has really good money management skills. 

[DaveTN]

They didn’t get the County discount, and no County funds were used. So all this is about the fact that they may have used County computers during working hours to make the contacts? Who hasn’t done that at one time or another? Is it a violation to be on the net on those computers?

RCSO has some big problems but I doubt this is one of them.

If they were violating tax laws; they need to deal with that. But then there will be a bunch of people caught up in the investigation.

I find it interesting that we watched a video of Deputies embellish a K9 hit on a car for PC to search and the Sherriff approved their actions. But we are supposed to be upset because the Sherriff’s family is involved in a business with the jail, or some Deputies bought some ammo on-line. Some people’s priorities are messed up.

[Chucktshoes]

They didn’t get the County discount, and no County funds were used. So all this is about the fact that they may have used County computers during working hours to make the contacts? Who hasn’t done that at one time or another? Is it a violation to be on the net on those computers?

RCSO has some big problems but I doubt this is one of them.

If they were violating tax laws; they need to deal with that. But then there will be a bunch of people caught up in the investigation.

I find it interesting that we watched a video of Deputies embellish a K9 hit on a car for PC to search and the Sherriff approved their actions. But we are supposed to be upset because the Sherriff’s family is involved in a business with the jail, or some Deputies bought some ammo on-line. Some people’s priorities are messed up.

And hey, if they are in the office fiddling on computers they aren't down on the street making up excuses to search people stuff, violating their rights and wrongfully arresting folks. I call this a general win for the citizens of Rutherford County.

[Jonnin]

If they sold it to their own people,  and both parties were happy with it, I am happy with it.  Profit is good, that means writing fewer tickets.  They can have a bake sale too if it keeps them chasing real criminals instead of farming cash from speeders.   

[TNWNGR]

They didn’t get the County discount, and no County funds were used. So all this is about the fact that they may have used County computers during working hours to make the contacts? Who hasn’t done that at one time or another? Is it a violation to be on the net on those computers?

RCSO has some big problems but I doubt this is one of them.

If they were violating tax laws; they need to deal with that. But then there will be a bunch of people caught up in the investigation.

I find it interesting that we watched a video of Deputies embellish a K9 hit on a car for PC to search and the Sherriff approved their actions. But we are supposed to be upset because the Sherriff’s family is involved in a business with the jail, or some Deputies bought some ammo on-line. Some people’s priorities are messed up.

Internal and county policies regarding use of computers and operating a for gain personal business would be interesting to know about in this particular matter. The taxation issue is outside the scope of agency authority and may or may not be addressed. But they've drawn enough attention to themselves now to be on notice. Its a question of ethics and ethical behavior...sore subjects but always critical to accountability and professional conduct.

As to the K9 incident, I'm unfamiliar with it but if correct that probably had some backlash in court and has diminished future credibility.

[BigK]

From what I've read, what they did that actually broke policy is using the computers for personal business.Almost everyone who uses a computer at work does that. While technically wrong, it's not worth losing what may otherwise be a good employee over. I may be wrong, but it seems to me most people are butt-hurt that they used their connections to get ammo when others couldn't and made some money off it. I hate the ammo gougers as much as anyone, but I don't think any of them, including these county employees, deserve to lose their jobs over selling ammo at a profit, let alone being prosecuted. Sounds like jealousy and sour grapes to me.

[btq96r]

If they just hop online, buy some ammo like the rest of us, no issues whatsoever.  Should there be some written rule about not using department computers for non-department use, then a stern "knock it off" with a week of cleaning the break room would suffice.

 

However, if they used their positions or government equipment (to include email) to solicit or take advantage of any offer not available to the general public, that's misconduct and needs to be addressed.  I won't say it calls for someone to be fired, but some kind of reprimand or action would be called for. 

 

But since this is the Rutherford County Sherrif's Department, it's just another line item that needs investigation.

 

 

I find it interesting that we watched a video of Deputies embellish a K9 hit on a car for PC to search and the Sherriff approved their actions. But we are supposed to be upset because the Sherriff’s family is involved in a business with the jail, or some Deputies bought some ammo on-line. Some people’s priorities are messed up.

 

The bold part is a conflict of interest that needed to be investigated.  I'd expect any solicitation or RFP, bids, notes and memos during review process and final contract to be all public information that is available for review.

[DaveTN]

Search warrants and FBI...
Looks like the Sherriff may have problems.
http://www.murfreesboropost.com/tbi-fbi-raid-sheriffs-office-arnolds-home-cms-42144

[VERO1]

I get the feeling that the ship may be about to hit the sand!

[Pain103]

I would like to read the affidavits from the search warrants. As it stands it sounds like at most they may have an ethics violation which isn't a criminal violation. But when you get agencies with three letter names involved all sorts of stupid stuff starts happening. Either way I think he will be in a new job come election after all this and a group trying whatever they can to dig something up to smear him.