Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas was indicted in May on 18 counts of official misconduct following a search warrant issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thomas’s home and other locations in September 2022.
The indictment was returned on May 6 to the Gibson County Circuit Court but remained sealed until Tuesday.
Gibson County Circuit Court Clerk Cindy Flowers confirmed that Thomas turned himself into the Gibson County Jail on Tuesday morning and posted a bond of $25,000 shortly after.
More: FBI confirms search warrant issued for Gibson Co. Sheriff Paul Thomas’ home, other locations
His arraignment is set for Sept. 16.
The apparent offense timeline ranges from May 1, 2022 through October 31, 2022. During this period, Thomas won his second re-election for sheriff in August 2022.
According to the indictment, Counts 1-6 are class E felonies and outline that Thomas allegedly used the labor or employment of six different inmates for his gain and benefit, profiting either directly or indirectly.
Counts 7-12 specifically name the six inmates and the use of their labor to benefit Alliance Staffing Group in Milan, a hiring program catered to incarcerated individuals established by Thomas and others.
Alliance Staffing Group along with its sister company Orchard House Transitional Home were among the locations under search by the FBI in 2022.
Counts 13-18 note that the same six inmates under the care of Thomas were improperly guarded to prevent escape.
This is a developing story.
Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Gibson Co. Sheriff indicted on 18 counts of official misconduct
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