MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two police officers in West Tennessee have been indicted, accused of falsifying time sheets and unauthorized use of police vehicles.
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office said the officers worked for both the Town of Mason and City of Gallaway police departments until the summer of 2020. Vatisha Barken was Mason’s interim chief of police and a captain for the Gallaway Police Department, and Samuel Sutton was a patrolman for Mason and a lieutenant for Gallaway.
Investigators said both Barken and Sutton submitted time sheets showing they were working for both departments at the same time, would end a shift in one town to start a shift in the other in the same minute, and showed hours worked when they did not report being in-service to either Fayette or Tipton County dispatchers.
The comptroller said Barken received $14,933.66 in wrongful compensation, and Sutton received $20,568.42. The report also noted unauthorized use of both Mason and Gallaway police vehicles by both. It also said Sutton had his personal vehicle towed and charged it to the Gallaway Police Department.
The comptroller said remaining salaries and benefits pair to both Barken and Sutton from Jan. 2019 to July 2020 are being questioned “due to a variety of oddities and practices.”
A Fayette County Grand Jury indicted Barken and Sutton each on one count of theft over $10,000, one count of official misconduct, and one count of false entry in governmental records.
