Former Knox County Trustee’s Office operations director Jason Dobbins pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony count of official misconduct in Knox County Criminal Court. Under a negotiated deal, the judge granted him judicial diversion, ordered him to repay $761, and imposed two years of unsupervised probation. The agreement effectively closes a criminal case that grew out of a state audit and months of local reporting into the trustee’s office.
According to WBIR, Dobbins, 48, admitted to one felony count while a second count was dismissed as part of the plea. Senior Judge D. Kelly Thomas accepted the agreement and approved the judicial diversion that will keep Dobbins out of prison so long as he follows the program’s rules. In a statement to WBIR, Dobbins’ attorney described him as “a loving husband and father, small business owner, and Knoxville native.”
Comptroller Found County Vehicle Use And Insider Property Deals
The Tennessee Comptroller’s investigative report detailed the conduct that drew prosecutors’ attention. It concluded that Dobbins used an assigned county vehicle for personal errands outside normal business hours from August 2024 through February 2025, including gym trips and a drive to Bristol, Virginia, racking up at least $761 in mileage. The report also found that Dobbins accessed a nonpublic “prospect list” of delinquent properties and that two lots bought at a 2024 tax sale for about $3,733 were later sold in March 2025 for roughly $67,000. Investigators estimated Dobbins and a partner gained more than $102,000 from those and related transactions and urged tighter internal controls. Tennessee Comptroller.
Fired After Audit, Indicted Last Year
Trustee Justin Biggs fired Dobbins in April 2025 after Knox County internal auditors began reviewing spending and vehicle use in the office. A grand jury later indicted Dobbins on two counts of official misconduct in August 2025. Local coverage chronicled a broader look at the trustee’s operations that highlighted county‑leased pickup trucks and hotel expenses as part of the review, setting up the criminal case that ended with Thursday’s plea. Knoxville News Sentinel.
What The Charge Carries
Official misconduct is defined in Tennessee law at Tenn. Code Ann. § 39‑16‑402 and is classified as a Class E felony. Depending on the circumstances and a defendant’s criminal history, a Class E felony can carry between one and six years in prison. The statute covers public servants who, with intent to obtain a benefit or to harm another, use or exceed their official authority or receive unauthorized benefits. FindLaw.
County Response And Next Steps
The comptroller’s report urged Knox County to tighten control over vehicles, mark county cars more consistently and document any travel exceptions. County officials told investigators they have fixed or intend to fix those problems. Other figures cited in the audit, including the county property assessor, have faced related scrutiny and, in some instances, indictment, and residents are watching to see whether new policies and oversight hold now that Dobbins’ case is resolved. Tennessee Comptroller and local reporting by Knoxville News Sentinel.
With Dobbins’ guilty plea and diversion in place, prosecutors have closed one chapter of the trustee’s office probe, while the audit’s findings continue to fuel calls for clearer rules and closer oversight of county vehicles and tax‑sale practices.
