A joint investigative effort by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury has led to the arrest of a former Loudon County Jail administrator charged with stealing from an inmate account.
At the request of 9th District Attorney General Russell Johnson, special agents with the TBI began investigating Ruthie Teresa Smith on Sept. 4, after a comptroller’s audit determined money was missing from the inmate commissary account at the Loudon County Jail.
Ms. Smith was responsible for depositing the money in that account. The investigation revealed that between Nov. 27, 2013, and Aug.17, almost $14,000 was missing from the fund. Ms. Smith resigned from her job in August.
On Wednesday, the Loudon County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging the Lenoir City woman with theft over $10,000 and official misconduct.
Ms. Smith, 40, turned herself in at the Loudon County Jail on Wednesday and was released after posting a $2,000 bond.