The Knoxville Assistant District Attorney has decided not to prosecute after a state investigation into suspicious activities at the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department.

A letter from the assistant district attorney, William C. Bright, to Deputy Chief Investigator Ensminger says the statute of limitations “expired on several potential charges.”

The letter continues by saying that after reviewing all of the information and carefully considering it regarding the remaining charges he did not believe the available evidence would lead to a reasonable likelihood of conviction if presented to a jury.

The initial investigation revealed findings that the sheriff and jail staff improperly released inmates without court officer approval, two Department employees performed work for the sheriff and his son while being paid by the department, three Department employees misappropriated over $20,000 by receiving compensation for time not worked, authorizing the animal shelter administrator who was not post certified to perform questionable duties and assigning her a weapon, and over $12,000 in questionable expenditures made by the Rhea County Angel Tree Toy Drive.