An inquiry by TBI agents resulted in the indictment of a former Fentress County deputy.

Back in October 2020, at the request of 8th District Attorney General Jared Effler, officers began investigating 42-year-old Derek Cull Richards. Authorities determined Richards, while serving as a deputy, allegedly sold his agency issued AR-15 rifle for personal gain. Officers were able to track down and recover the weapon. Richards is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office.

A Fentress County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Richards with one count of official misconduct. This afternoon (Thursday, June 10, 2021), he turned himself in and was booked into the jail on a $1,000 bond.