Former Rutherford Sheriff Gets 4 Years In Federal Prison

NASHVILLE, TN — A federal judge sentenced former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold to four years in prison for his role in illegal sales of e-cigarettes at the jail he oversaw, bringing to end a more than two-year-long saga that shook the county's sheriff office to its foundations.

Judge Marvin Aspen ruled that Arnold — who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, honest services fraud and extortion in January — must serve 50 months including eight months time served. Arnold remained behind bars ahead of his guilty plea after his pre-trial release was revoked following a domestic incident at his Rutherford County home over Labor Day weekend.

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Arnold was also ordered to pay $66,790 in restitution, representing his share of JailCigs $156,975 in sales. His co-defendants — his chief administrative deputy Joe Russell and his uncle John Vanderveer — will be sentenced in September.

None of JailCigs' profits were shared with county government and its contract was awarded outside the normal bidding process. None of the trio, all of whom ultimately pleaded guilty to the same three charges of their initial 14-count indictment, disclosed their involvement with the company.

Image via Grayson County, Ky. Sheriff's Department