A day after the Tennessee Comptroller's Office announced the results of an investigative probe at the Rhea County Sheriff's Office, the Knox County District Attorney Office -- where the case was sent to avoid conflicts -- decided not to pursue charges, according to officials in Rhea County.
"Due to our professional relationship with the Rhea County Sheriff's Office, the Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen and her office were appointed to serve as pro tem prosecutors," Rhea County District Attorney Courtney C. Lynch said in an emailed statement. "They have handled the case through the investigation phase. It is my understanding that they have declined to prosecute."
Lynch referred questions on that decision to Allen's office while her office in Dayton will move on, she said. "Pro tem" means "temporary," according to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
"We look forward to continuing to work with the Rhea County Sheriff's Office," Lynch said.
Sheriff Mike Neal, who was the subject of the comptroller's probe along with other former and current deputies and departmental staff, did not respond to calls or texts to his cellphone or a message seeking comment left at his office.
Knox County Deputy District Attorney Sean F. McDermott, the media contact for the office, did not immediately return a voicemail left at the office in Knoxville. Emails sent to him did not go through.
According to the comptroller's review of a seven-year period from January 2017 to May 2024, Neal was accused of having inmates perform work at his and his son's business, he and his chief deputy improperly released inmates on three occasions, the sheriff had departmental employees doing work for his private business and paid three deputies more than $20,000 for time not worked, according to the state comptroller's investigation.
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The report additionally found Neal authorized the county animal shelter administrator to perform questionable duties and assigned a weapon to the administrator who was not certified by the state's police training commission. Among the seven findings in the report, the sheriff's office also had more than $12,000 in questionable expenditures from the Angel Tree Toy Drive fund, operated by the sheriff's office.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Rhea County Sheriff Mike Neal talks about the benefits of the new jail and justice center. A Tennessee Comptroller's investigative report states the Rhea County sheriff and jail staff had numerous findings including "questionable and improperly activities" stemming from incidents occurring between January 2017 and May 2024.
Tennessee Comptroller Jason E. Mumpower described issues raised in the investigation as pervasive and said Neal must hold his employees accountable, according to a statement.
"Not only did employees violate the department's policies and procedures, but some of these violations also benefited the sheriff and others at the expense of the department," Mumpower said. "The sheriff should ensure all actions within the department align with the code of ethics and policies."
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According to the report, inmate sign-out records revealed that inmates performed work at two privately managed boat docks, including the Dayton Boat Dock, a business owned by the sheriff's son.
Two department employees performed work for the sheriff and his son while being paid by the department, according to the report. Neal directed a former bookkeeper and shelter administrator to perform work related to his or his son's businesses while being paid by the department, the report said.
The former bookkeeper told investigators she began bookkeeping for the sheriff's personal farming business during her working hours at the department in 2015 and continued to perform both roles during her working hours until she resigned in 2021.
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Investigators also found the bookkeeper and shelter administrator used county-owned electronics, cellphones and a work truck at Neal's farming business, the report said.
Also, a former road patrol sergeant was accused of misappropriating $11,400, a school resource sergeant was accused of misappropriating $6,200 and a road patrol deputy was accused of misappropriating about $3,000 for time not worked. Records revealed all three department employees were also employed by Neal's personal farm and trucking businesses.
Comptroller investigators additionally identified several operational deficiencies, some of which contributed to the investigative findings, the comptroller's office said. For example, the department failed to maintain time sheets for all employees and did not always document compensatory time earned by staff.
Contact Ben Benton at [email protected] or 423-757-6569.