Drugs missing, guns mishandled in Houston County evidence room

"Officials failed to perform an annual inventory."

September 25, 2017

A state investigation has found serious problems with the Houston County Sheriff's Office property and evidence room, including drugs that were missing, guns and drugs in the room that weren't in the inventory and security cameras that weren't connected.

The Tennessee Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury released the findings Monday morning.

Houston County Sheriff Kevin Sugg, who said he received the report findings when they were made public on Monday, said the discrepancies stemmed from former employees, and he notified the Comptroller's Office when he noticed some of the issues after the departure of one employee.

After the release of the findings, Sugg contacted the District Attorney's Office to set up a meeting to ask for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to step in.

"As long as I'm sheriff in this county, I will be transparent; I will be accountable," Sugg said. "And law enforcement is going to be subject to investigation just like any citizen of this county, whether employed here or not."

Among the specific findings in the report:

"Property and evidence included on the inventory log was not in department custody."

This included 23 instances of missing marijuana and pills, with no documentation that the drugs had been disposed of, the report said.

A state investigation has found serious problems with the Houston County Sheriff's Office property and evidence room, including drugs that were missing, guns and drugs in the room that weren't in the inventory and security cameras that weren't connected.

The Tennessee Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury released the findings Monday morning.

Houston County Sheriff Kevin Sugg, who said he received the report findings when they were made public on Monday, said the discrepancies stemmed from former employees, and he notified the Comptroller's Office when he noticed some of the issues after the departure of one employee.

After the release of the findings, Sugg contacted the District Attorney's Office to set up a meeting to ask for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to step in.

"As long as I'm sheriff in this county, I will be transparent; I will be accountable," Sugg said. "And law enforcement is going to be subject to investigation just like any citizen of this county, whether employed here or not."

Among the specific findings in the report:

"Property and evidence included on the inventory log was not in department custody."

This included 23 instances of missing marijuana and pills, with no documentation that the drugs had been disposed of, the report said.