Uncle of Former Rutherford County Sheriff's to Plead Guilty; Arnold, Russell Put Pensions in Jeopardy

NASHVILLE, TN — John Vanderveer, uncle of former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold and the lone remaining defendant in the JailCigs federal criminal case, will change his plea to guilty Monday, according to federal court filings. Arnold and former chief administrative deputy Joe Russell pleaded guilty last week.

All three men were charged in a 14-count criminal indictment for illegally profiting from the sale of e-cigarettes to inmates at the Rutherford County Jail. Arnold and Russell both pleaded to guilty to three of those charges: wire fraud, honest services fraud and extortion. Court filings do not indicate which charges Vanderveer will plead to. His co-defendants are scheduled for sentencing in May.

Thursday, the Daily News Journal reported that Arnold and Russell could lose their pensions. State law revokes retirement benefits for public employees and elected officials convicted of felonies tied to their employment. It also prohibits further taxpayer dollars from funding those pensions.

The DNJ reports that Arnold has 17 years and seven months built up in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, while Russell has six years and three months.

Funds that are built up remain in the employer's retirement account.

Image via Rutherford County