MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. — A former correctional officer at the McMinn County Jail in Athens, TN, has been indicted following a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations that contraband was brought into the jail.
According to the TBI, the investigation began on Dec. 16, 2024, at the request of 10th Judicial District Attorney General Stephen Hatchett after authorities received information that contraband had been introduced into the McMinn County Jail in June 2024.
During the investigation, agents gathered evidence alleging that Harley McCormick, 21, was involved.
Last week, a McMinn County grand jury returned an indictment charging McCormick with one count of Official Misconduct.
McCormick turned himself in at the McMinn County Jail on June 23 and was released on his own recognizance bond.
The TBI said McCormick was employed as a correctional officer with the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office but had been terminated before the bureau became involved in the investigation.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation emphasized that the indictment contains allegations only. McCormick is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
