LAFOLLETTE, Tenn. — The mayor of a northeastern Tennessee city is accused of using city employees and equipment to work on private property, some of which he owned, authorities said.
Michael Stanfield, 69, of LaFollette, was indicted Wednesday by a Campbell County grand jury on seven counts of official misconduct, one count of retaliation for a report to the comptroller and one count of misrepresenting information to state auditors, WBIR reported.
Stanfield was arrested Thursday and booked into the Campbell County Jail, with bail set at $2,500, the television station reported. He was released 30 minutes after he was booked, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Stanfield, a lifetime resident of LaFollette, was elected mayor in 2008, according to the city’s website. LaFollette is located about 40 miles north of Knoxville.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury began a joint investigation over allegations of misconduct involving Stanfield in July, WTVC reported.
TBI agents said Stanfield used city employees and equipment to work on private property he owned, and later directed a city employee to make false statements to the state auditor, WHBQ reported. Stanfield also allegedly lied to state auditors and retaliated against City Administrator James Jeffries for reporting the alleged misconduct, the News Sentinel reported.
According to the indictment Stanfield’s alleged conduct occurred from 2015 until last month, the newspaper reported.
Stanfield is a graduate of LaFollette High School and served two years in Vietnam, according to the city’s website. He began working for the city when he joined LaFollette’s Public Works Department, then worked as a laborer and truck driver. Stanfield later headed the Public Works Department. After retiring in 2006, Stanfield was elected to the LaFollette City Council before winning election as mayor.
Stanfield could not be reached for comment Thursday, the News Sentinel reported.
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