Erwin’s former top brass at the police department now stand accused of crossing the line from enforcing the law to allegedly bending it.
Three former Erwin Police Department officials, former Chief Regan Tilson, former Captain Gary Wayne Edwards and former operations officer Tiffany D. Tilson, were indicted by an Unicoi County grand jury after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe. The grand jury returned indictments on March 10 that include counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct, official misconduct, theft over $10,000 and multiple counts of tampering with governmental records. All three surrendered to authorities and were booked into the Unicoi County Jail.
TBI outlines allegations
According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents, the case started in September when 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney asked them to look into concerns about Erwin’s training paperwork. Agents say they eventually found that in December 2024 the three former officials allegedly conspired to submit fraudulent training documents to the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission.
The TBI release states that falsified records and altered timesheets were used to claim in-service credits that qualified Erwin officers for a state salary supplement. The court has appointed Shari Tayloe as a pro tem prosecutor after Finney recused himself from the matter.
How investigators say the scheme worked
Investigators allege timesheets were changed to show officers attended an in-service session that never actually happened, and that those forged P.O.S.T. credits were then linked to the supplemental pay program, according to WVLT. Local reporting, including WVLT, confirms a grand jury returned indictments charging each of the three with conspiracy, official misconduct, theft over $10,000 and multiple counts of tampering with governmental records.
The TBI says agents obtained information indicating the allegedly fraudulent credits affected multiple officers’ pay eligibility. In other words, what might look like “just paperwork” on its face is being treated as a serious money and records case.
Chief's firing and local fallout
Tilson was already out of the job before the indictments landed. He was placed on leave in July 2025 after failing an alcohol test and was later terminated by the town, which upheld the firing after a disciplinary hearing, WJHL reported.
Town leaders had questioned training records in 2024 and referred the matter to prosecutors before the TBI opened its investigation. Those moves set the stage for the state probe and the grand jury’s work, and they have stirred local questions about whether past salary-supplement payments and training compliance will need a deeper review.
Charges, booking and next steps
The Unicoi County grand jury returned the indictments on March 10. Each defendant faces counts that include conspiracy to commit official misconduct, official misconduct, theft over $10,000 and three counts of tampering with governmental records, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
All three turned themselves in and were booked into the Unicoi County Jail, where they went through routine processing. The agency has stressed that the charges are allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Why P.O.S.T. rules matter
The Tennessee P.O.S.T. Commission requires officers to successfully complete annual in-service training in order to qualify for salary supplements, and agencies have to submit certified documentation for approval, according to Tennessee P.O.S.T. resources.
The commission’s guidance notes that failure to complete or properly document required training can affect both certification and supplement eligibility. That framework helps explain why disputed rosters and range reports, if ultimately proven fraudulent, could carry not only criminal penalties but also administrative fallout for officers and agencies.
What to watch next
The case will now move through the Unicoi County courts, where arraignment and pretrial hearings will be scheduled by the clerk and the judge who takes the case. Local officials and the P.O.S.T. Commission are expected to keep reviewing training records and any salary supplements tied to the disputed credits.
Residents, municipal leaders and affected officers will be watching court filings and official updates as the matter moves forward, looking to see how far the alleged record-tampering reached and what it might mean for Erwin’s police force going forward.
