Monterey's police chief skipped conference, went shopping with his wife and faces charges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Monterey Police Chief Bill Randolph is charged with official misconduct, theft, forgery and other crimes following a law enforcement training conference.

The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office said an investigation into Randolph found he skipped a 2022 conference in Gatlinburg and instead went to restaurants and shops with his wife.

The TCO said the city of Monterey in Putnam County paid $400 for Randolph to participate in the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Officer’s Association (TLETOA), Randolph’s $25 TLETOA membership, $1,200 in wages, more than $400 in hotel expenses , $54.99 fuel reimbursement and $275 per day. for a conference he didn’t actually go to.

The investigation also found that Randolph tried to cover up skipping the conference by using a QR code from another Monterey police officer to indicate he had attended training classes, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office reported.

“This investigation raises several ethical issues,” says auditor Mumpower. “By involving his subordinates in his actions, the chief abused his position and may have damaged public confidence in the department’s management.”

A Putnam County Grand Jury indicted Randolph on November 4 on seven charges, including: one charge of theft of property over $1,000, three charges of official misconduct, one charge of forgery over $1,000, one charge of forgery entries in government documents and one count of violation of the Tennessee Personal and Commercial Computer Act of 2003.