• U.S.

Tennessee Sheriff Indicted for Selling E-Cigarettes in His Own Jail

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FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016 file photo, Rutherford County Sheriff Robert F. Arnold stands in his office in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Arnold is facing public corruption charges after being named in a 14-count indictment that accuses him and others of benefiting from a scheme to sell electronic cigarettes to inmates in the jail he oversees. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)
Rutherford County Sheriff Robert F. Arnold stands in his office in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Jan. 27, 2016.Mark Zaleski—AP
By Justin Worland

A Tennessee sheriff was indicted for selling e-cigarettes in the jail he operated, the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.

Rutherford County Sheriff Robert F. Arnold partnered with his deputy and his uncle to start a limited liability company that distributed e-cigarettes to jail inmates, according to a Department of Justice report. The company—called JailCigs LLC—allegedly sold 10,500 e-cigarettes and made more than $150,000 in revenue.

The 14-count indictment includes charges of wire fraud, bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Tennessee state officials and the FBI are both investigating, according to the Department of Justice.

The accused have denied involvement. Arnold told a local news outlet that he had listed JailCigs as a source of income by mistake.

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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com