Assistant District Attorney Wrongfully Obtained Salary and Travel Payments
CARROLL COUNTY (September 8) - An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictment of Thomas Tansil Jr., an assistant district attorney general in 24th Judicial District.
Last week, Tansil, Jr. was indicted by the Carroll County Grand Jury on one count of theft over $10,000, one count of official misconduct, one count of tampering with governmental records, and one count of computer offenses. He also serves as an alderman for the City of Greenfield.
Investigators determined that Tansil Jr. wrongfully obtained $22,740.36 in state salary and travel expense reimbursements between August 1, 2017 and January 31, 2020, according to a release issued by the Comptroller's Office .
These payments noted in the release include the following:
Tansil Jr. was paid for 22 days of military leave when he was not on military orders or on drill status with the Navy. He was paid $7,235.93 for these 22 days.
Tansil Jr. was paid $5,453.99 for 16 days of military leave after he had already used the number of days permitted by state policy each year. Tansil Jr. should have used leave without pay for these days.
Tansil Jr. took at least 141 hours of annual leave and sick leave that he did not have. Tansil Jr. had already exhausted his available leave when he was paid $6,333.15 for these hours.
Tansil Jr. falsified travel claims totaling $3,717.29. Tansil Jr. admitted that he was not always traveling when he claimed to be. He was also paid for travel when he was on leave.
Additionally, investigators are questioning $135,874.55 in salary and travel reimbursements paid to Tansil Jr. Tansil Jr. admitted that he did not work 25 percent of the time he claimed to work between July 1, 2018 and January 31, 2020. Investigators have questioned all of Tansil’s salary and travel reimbursements that could not be substantiated through documentation or interviews.
The District Attorney General of the 10th Judicial District has been appointed to prosecute this case.
The 24th Judicial District Attorney General (DAG) notified the Comptroller's office regarding Tansil Jr. and the suspected misappropriation of time and travel reimbursement expenses. It was noted, however, the DAG’s office failed to monitor the activity of Tansil Jr. and his lack of attendance and travel documentation, according to the report.
Also, the DAG’s office did not require Tansil Jr. to submit military orders when he was claiming military leave or his drill schedule. The DAG did not question Tansil Jr. regarding his military time off or question the higher number of days he was not working. The lack of management oversight contributed to the wrongfully obtained salary and travel by Tansil Jr., the report noted.
“We appreciate the District Attorney General of the 24th Judicial District for notifying our Office of the irregularities that launched this investigation,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. “We also encourage his office to closely monitor the attendance and travel documentation of employees. Employees should also be required to submit valid military orders when they are paid military leave.”
The 24th Judicial District serves the West Tennessee counties of Henry, Carroll, Benton, Decatur, and Hardin. The district’s main office is in Carroll County with several other branch offices throughout the district. The district attorney general (DAG) is elected for an eight-year term and is responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of the state. Assistant district attorney’s general (ADA’s) serve under the DAG in each district and assist in prosecution of criminal cases. The 24th Judicial District has an established multijurisdictional drug task force under the leadership of the DAG and ADA’s are assigned to assist in the prosecution of drug-related offenses.
