Joseph Jenkins, a county commissioner from Hardeman County, Tennessee, is facing legal repercussions following accusations that he was operating a chop shop, in addition to 13 counts of theft ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. Jenkins was taken into custody and booked into the Hardeman County Jail, with his bond set at $50,000. He is slated for a court appearance on September 17, WREG reports.

Arrested on his property, where the illegal operation was allegedly taking place, Jenkins has yet to publically remark on the situation. A Hardeman County Sheriff's Department investigation that began on August 27 led to the uncovering of numerous stolen vehicles most of which originated from Memphis. In his position, Jenkins holds committee roles in the domains of ambulance services, building, civil matters, and law enforcement in the county, FOX13 states.

The investigation pointed investigators to a property on Park Swain Road in Grand Junction, which is owned by Jenkins' brother, Barry Jenkins. During their search, deputies found a stolen truck that had Joseph Jenkins for County Commissioner business cards inside it. After being contacted, Barry Jenkins acknowledged that he and Joseph Jenkins were in business together and that there was a shop on Indian Creek Road where they worked on vehicles. Candace Marshall-Jenkins, Barry's wife or girlfriend, reportedly directed investigators to Joseph Jenkins' residence where she claimed there were a lot more stolen vehicles, according to FOX13.

A subsequent search warrant executed at a location attributed to Jenkins revealed the presence of numerous stolen vehicles, consolidating the accusations against him. In defense of their operations, Joseph's son, Jotavious Jenkins, told FOX13, "At the end of the day, everybody knows what we’ve been doing and how we run our business". Despite the ongoing investigation and arrests, the full extent of the operation is still being pieced together by authorities, as reported by Action News 5.