CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. – A former Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been indicted following a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations that he solicited someone as part of a murder-for-hire scheme.
Matthew Joseph Lucas Hopson, 29, was indicted on one count of official misconduct by a Claiborne County grand jury on Aug. 13.
The investigation began in October 2025 at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler. Hopson was employed as a Claiborne County sheriff’s deputy at the time, according to the TBI.
During the investigation, TBI special agents gathered evidence that they say indicates Hopson solicited an individual as part of a murder-for-hire scheme. The agency did not identify the person allegedly solicited, the intended target or provide details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged plot.
Following the indictment, Hopson was arrested and booked into the Claiborne County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Despite the murder-for-hire allegation described by investigators, the indictment announced by the TBI charges Hopson with official misconduct. The agency did not announce a separate murder solicitation charge.
The allegations are accusations, and Hopson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
