Robert Eugene Hargis. Photo by Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2024
A former detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office has admitted to official misconduct involving falsified sex offender registry documents. Robert Eugene Hargis entered his guilty plea on Tuesday at the Marion County Circuit Court, resolving part of a criminal case sparked by a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) inquiry into forged signatures on registry forms.
The TBI began its investigation in 2025 after 12th Judicial District Attorney General Courtney Lynch requested it due to concerns about signatures on mandatory compliance forms for the sex offender registry. At that time, Hargis was the Compliance Officer for the registry at the Sheriff’s Office, responsible for confirming offenders’ compliance with state laws through their signatures.
Investigators found that several of these signatures were forged, according to the TBI.
A Marion County grand jury indicted Hargis on two charges of official misconduct and eight charges related to tampering with government records. According to court documents, Hargis admitted guilt to one count of official misconduct. The second misconduct charge, along with all eight tampering charges, were deferred under judicial diversion. If Hargis completes three years of probation and follows the court’s requirements, those charges may be dismissed.
