The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office conducted an investigation into Julie Odom, the former director of the 13th Judicial District Recovery Courts, which provide treatment and supervision for non-violent felony offenders with substance abuse issues across seven counties. For reference, the 13th Judicial District is composed of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Pickett, Putnam, Overton and White Counties.

The probe, triggered by a board member reporting questionable expenditures, revealed that Odom improperly authorized at least $8,600 in rental assistance for a program participant who was living with her. This included $7,675 paid directly to the participant and $925 to a landlord on their behalf. Program policy restricts such assistance to licensed sober living facilities meeting specific criteria, but none of the locations qualified.

Furthermore, investigators found that Odom submitted falsified documents to the Putnam County Mayor’s Office to justify the payments, including a fabricated invoice, receipt, and altered rental agreement.

She reportedly used a recovery courts receipt book to create a false landlord receipt and modified a rental agreement by substituting the participant’s name for her own to enable the assistance and reimbursement. Odom resigned from her position on October 28, 2024. Following the investigation, the Putnam County Grand Jury indicted her in January 2026 on three counts of official misconduct, one count of theft over $2,500, one count of criminal simulation, and two counts of forgery.

The full investigative report is available at https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/investigations/find.html.