GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. — A former IT system administrator for the Greene County Sheriff's Department pled guilty to theft on Tuesday. Officials said he stole $49,826 by making fraudulent purchases and submitting incorrect timesheets.
They said Stewart Cowles used a department credit card to make personal purchases on Amazon. They said he bought a hot tub, an espresso machine, gaming items, a camera drone and a speaker system, along with other items. He then changed invoices that he gave to the county to hide those purchases as technology equipment, according to a release from officials.
In total, they said he spent at least $29,554 making personal purchases on Amazon.
They also said Cowles submitted timesheets to the sheriff's department and the Greeneville Police Department for the same work hours. He also worked at the Greeneville Police Department as an IT administrator, according to officials.
He was paid at least $19,490 for 1,592.25 hours that he claimed to work at both jobs simultaneously, according to a release from officials.
He also started a county-paid cell phone line for a family member, according to police. It cost $726 for around 14 months of use, according to officials. He also used a county-paid cell phone number after he stopped working at the department, officials said. It cost around $55.
His employment ended on September 1, 2018, according to officials. He pled guilty to one count of theft over $10,000 in May 2021. The Tennessee Comptroller's Office investigated him.
