Michael Fitzhugh Appointed Interim Rutherford County Sheriff

MURFREESBORO, TN — The Rutherford County Commission appointed retired sheriff's department captain Michael Fitzhugh as interim sheriff Thursday night.

Fitzhugh will wear the badge while now-suspended Robert Arnold is jailed ahead of his February trial date on federal conspiracy and fraud charges related to his involvement with JailCigs. Arnold also faces a civil ouster suit April 10 and 11 filed by a dozen Rutherford County citizens. Should Arnold be cleared in both the federal criminal case and the civil ouster suit, he could resume his duties as sheriff. Otherwise, Fitzhugh will serve until the August 2018 election.

According to the Daily News Journal, Fitzhugh — who worked in the patrol, communications, and civil and criminal warrants divisions — said he retired from the department because he disagreed with how it was being run under Arnold's leadership.

Arnold has been jailed since late September after a judge ruled he violated his pre-trial release agreement due to an alleged domestic dispute with his wife at his Murfreesboro home over Labor Day weekend.

Arnold, along with his uncle John Vanderveer and former sheriff's administrator Joe Russell, each face 14 counts in federal court, accusing them of profiting from inmates by selling electronic cigarettes through JailCigs. All three have pleaded not guilty.