The judge overseeing the vast corruption case centered in the Knox County Sheriff's Office ordered Sheriff Tom Spangler to testify under oath as soon as possible after attorneys from both sides of the case raised concerns about his declining health.
Spangler is fighting pancreatic cancer, and his health has “recently undergone a rapid decline,” the attorneys involved wrote.
Spangler's health was a topic of discussion during the sheriff’s election, but it became even more pressing once several of the office’s command staff were charged and people began to wonder who was running the agency's day-to-day operations.
The request to depose Spangler with urgency was spearheaded by attorney Stephen Ross Johnson, who represents former Assistant Chief Deputy
David Amburn. It was signed by the attorneys for each of the other 10 men charged and by special prosecutor Stephen Crump. Senior Judge Don R. Ash agreed and signed the order Aug. 10.
Spangler has been in and out of the office as he copes with the illness. His testimony, according to the judge's order, is invaluable because he cooperated with the underlying FBI investigation and because of his close relationship with several of the men charged, including Amburn and Capt. Aaron Yarnell, both of whom were promoted by Spangler.
“The sheriff will cooperate with the any order from the court. He’s one of the bravest people I know and he’s actively battling,” KCSO spokesperson Kimberly Glenn told Knox News.
Spangler was not working at the sheriff’s office during the time the alleged illegal activity took place, and the activity stopped once Spangler assumed office in 2018, according to the Aug. 10 order and previous filings made by prosecutors.
Knox News tried to contact a spokeswoman for Spangler on Aug. 10 but did not immediately receive a response.
How the Knox County Sheriff's Office corruption case unfolded
The indictments stem from yearslong federal and state investigations into the department's troubled narcotics unit. A federal investigation resulted in the August conviction of David Henderson, the unit's former leader, on a single federal count of conspiracy to commit program fraud.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation picked up the investigation, leading to state charges of conspiracy to commit theft of property over $250,000; theft of property over $250,000; and theft of services over $60,000 for all 11 men. Each one entered a not guilty plea.
Knox News exclusively reported Aug. 10 that five more people, including another top leader in the sheriff's office, could be indicted. In her second recusal from the cases, filed Aug. 4, District Attorney Charme Allen identified the new names and gave Crump, the special prosecutor, the go-ahead to handle “specific criminal proceedings, including grand jury proceedings.”
Knox News is not naming the people, four of whom are current or former sheriff's office employees, because they have not been charged with a crime. The order is not a list of charges and it doesn't say charges are forthcoming. But grand juries issue criminal indictments and the order specifically authorizes Crump to handle grand jury proceedings.
What are the current charges in the KCSO corruption case?
The 11 men each face state charges of conspiracy to commit theft of property over $250,000; theft of property over $250,000; and theft of services over $60,000.
All the charges are felonies and all have potential serious prison sentences attached:
- Conspiracy to commit theft of property over $250,000: 8-12 years
- Theft of property over $250,000: 15-25 years
- Theft of services over $60,000: 8-12 years
Ash could stack the sentences if the men are convicted of multiple charges, or allow the sentences to run simultaneously to shorten the time served.
If convicted, none of the men would be eligible for probation or judicial diversion that would keep them out of prison, according to attorneys who spoke with Knox News.
However, if convicted of at least one of the felonies, the men must forfeit their county pensions. And in some cases, themen could be on the hook to repay some of what they have already been paid.
The indicted men are:
- Assistant Chief Deputy David Amburn, who oversaw the sheriff’s office narcotics unit
- Curtis Nathan Cole, a former narcotics unit detective
- Capt. James Hammond
- David Henderson, a retired KCSO assistant chief deputy, who pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit federal program fraud in August 2025. His sentencing hearing has been rescheduled several times and is now scheduled for this fall.
- John "Hoppy" Hopkins, a retired KCSO captain
- Sgt. Timothy Isaacs
- Jimmy "J.J." Jones, a former Knox County sheriff
- Michael Ray Kidd, a civilian. Kidd's brother is Ronnie Kidd, a former KCSO fleet manager who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of official misconduct in October 2020 and was sentenced to two years of probation.
- Lt. Franklin "Rocky" Lowery
- Lake Lowry, a former KCSO sergeant
- Capt. Aaron Yarnell, who supervised the agency's technology division.
Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Email: tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com; X: @tyler_whetstone; Signal: twhetstone141924.39
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Spangler's poor health requires urgent testimony, judge rules | Exclusive
