Top Rutherford Drug Detective Fired As Investigations Swirl

MURFREESBORO, TN -- The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office fired its top narcotics detective, a 20-year department veteran who is the subject of at least two investigations.

Both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the RCSO itself are investigating Lt. Jason Mathis, who was placed on paid leave last week. Both probes continue, but Mathis has been terminated, officials confirmed.

Both the TBI and the sheriff's office have declined to release the scope of the investigation, but last week NewsChannel 5 reported Mathis is accused of taking a zero-turn-radius lawn mower and trailerseized during a drug bust. Because of the nature of the allegations, the state comptroller could also conduct an audit, the station reports.

Attorney Jim Todd told the station that if Mathis faces criminal charges, it could put any pending drug prosecutions in Rutherford County in jeopardy.

"So, if he takes the stuff home that's the same as stealing or theft and that will not only destroy his credibility, but destroy the credibility of the department as well, making it hard to prosecute cases in the pipeline," Todd said.

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Image via TBI