Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Administration Chief Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Illegally Profiting Off Inmates

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Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Administration Chief Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Illegally Profiting Off Inmates

November 17th, 2017

Awake Goy

Convicted ex-Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office administration chief Joe Russell will be sentenced to 15 months in prison for illegally profiting off inmates through the sale of JailCigs, Judge Marvin Aspen decided Thursday.

Aspen said that Russell must surrender himself to the U.S. Marshals at 10 a.m. on Jan. 22.

The judge also indicated that Russell’s time in prison could be shortened due to good behavior.

During court proceedings, Russell’s wife Nicole Lester became emotional during her testimony and broke down on the stand.

Jodi Bell, the attorney appointed to represent Russell, told Aspen that Lester had been battling depression and anxiety since the case began. Lester’s father, Murfreesboro police administrator Hiram Lester, also testified on his son-in-law’s behalf.

In addition to support from family, Russell also received written support from former Chancellor Robert Corlew III.

Bell also asked that Russell be placed on probation rather than serve time in prison. The attorney said Nicole Lester is unemployed and would be unable to provide for her family if her husband was incarcerated.

Russell’s income would also allow the family to better support the educational needs of one of their children who struggles with ADHD, Bell said.

Russell joined ex-sheriff Robert Arnold and Arnold’s uncle John Vanderveer in facing punishments after getting caught selling electronic cigarettes to inmates at the county jail in Murfreesboro without seeking contract approval for the arrangement from the Rutherford County Commission.

State and federal authorities spent more than two years investigating the JailCigs case, and this included FBI-led raids of the homes and offices for Arnold, Russell and Vanderveer.

The three faced an initial 14-count federal grand jury indictment in late May 2016.

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