Former sheriff’s investigator may have stolen machine gun: Jeff Stiles found in possession of similar weapon
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The suspect, Jeff Stiles, is free on bond after being arrested Friday on charges of aggravated domestic assault and aggravated criminal trespass in Marion County. Lawmen in Jasper, a small town located about 70 miles south of McMinnville near Chattanooga, say Stiles entered his ex-wife’s home and threatened her with a gun, allegedly telling her he would burn down her house with her in it.
It was during an investigation after Stiles’ arrest that lawmen reported finding a deputy’s card on the suspect. The card reportedly bore Stiles’ picture but a name other than his. The discovery prompted a call to Warren County authorities who told Jasper officers that Stiles is no longer affiliated with the sheriff’s department here.
Stiles had served as chief investigator under former Sheriff Mason Black in the early 1990s, before leaving employment for unannounced reasons. It was shortly after his departure, Black said a fully automatic M-14 rifle came up missing.
“I took depositions from Stiles and others, and they all denied it,” Black said, noting there were only a few officers who had access to the area where the gun was stored. “I suspected he (Stiles) was the one who took it and I passed that information on, but at the time, they (the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) were too busy trying to get me.”
Black, who served as sheriff here from 1989-1994 before being unseated by current Sheriff Jackie Matheny, was referring to an investigation by the TBI and local grand jury which led to his indictment, along with other members of his staff, on charges of theft stemming from payroll irregularities. Black and his staff were later exonerated of all charges.
Stiles, who was not among those indicted then, ran against his former boss and Matheny in the 1994 sheriff’s election and finished third.
Presently, it has not been confirmed the M-14 allegedly found in Stiles’ possession is the same $1,700 gun stolen from the sheriff’s office. However, local lawmen strongly believe the gun will check out as being the missing automatic. The case has been turned over to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), which will conduct an investigation on the history of the firearm.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, local officials will be interested in charging Stiles if the gun found is the same gun stolen here a decade ago. However, Matheny noted federal prosecutors may want to prosecute instead since the gun is an automatic. Federal law provides up to 10 years in prison for any person caught in possession of a fully automatic weapon without proper license. Stiles presently faces no charges for either the M-14 or the sheriff’s card.