Abigail Martin, MTN Reporter
February 7
Jon Levi, veteran Rutherford County Sheriff’s sergeant, resigned Thursday in lieu of termination after violating four sheriff’s office procedures.
Levi joined the sheriff’s office 22 years ago and started the Mounted Patrol Unit.
Former Sgt. Levi violated the standards of conduct, use of sheriff’s office vehicles, code of conduct and discipline, according to a report filed by Lt. Matt Goney of the Sheriff’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh asked Goney to investigate allegations of Levi’s conduct after the sheriff’s office received a letter in December similar to one received two years earlier.
Goney accessed Levi’s activity log and GPS reports from his sheriff’s office vehicle.
The GPS data showed his patrol vehicle was parked at or near at the unnamed woman’s home more than 30 times between July 5 and Nov. 29 and being near or at her residence during his shift several times a day some days.
Goney showed Levi the letter in an interview on Jan. 15. Goney showed Levi a picture of his marked patrol car in the woman’s driveway next to her car and activity logs with different dates.
Levi said he had been at the woman’s house a couple of times to “help her do stuff,” but said he never stayed for more than 30 minutes.
He said he went to her home twice on Thanksgiving Day and twice on Nov. 29th to help with a water heater.
The activity log showed him at her home on Nov. 26.
He said he took his 45-minute lunch at the woman’s home, but the log showed he was there for two hours and 30 minutes two different days.
Levi said he borrowed an unmarked sheriff’s office vehicle and drove it to her home for lunch two or three times.
The investigation noted Levi violated the standards of conduct stating, “every deputy shall deal truthfully and honorable with others,” violated the use of sheriff’s office vehicles standard operating policy of using vehicles in “any manner that would discredit the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, violated the code of conduct standard operating procedure stating the integrity of a deputy must be “above reproach.
Deputy sheriffs must, therefore, avoid any conduct that might compromise integrity and thus undercut the public confidence in the law enforcement agency,” and violated the “unbecoming or unethical conduct” standard operating procedure.
Chief Deputy Keith Lowery said Levi was “informed he was terminated for untruthfulness, deceit and dishonesty” but allowed to resign in lieu of termination.
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