Carter County Tennessee Sheriff's Office

09/29/2026

We would like to thank Unaka High School for inviting our officers to take part in Career Day. Our officers had a wonderful time talking with the students and sharing about the career opportunities available in the field of Law Enforcement.

09/14/2026

Woman charged with embezzling funds from youth club

ELIZABETHTON – A Stoney Creek woman is facing a felony charge following an investigation into suspicious purchases made with a local youth club’s funds.
Investigators arrested Kristen Hampton, age 52, of Dry Branch Road, on Friday, September 11, and charged her with embezzlement (theft of property $2,500 - $10,000).
The charge against Hampton stems from an investigation that began on September 10, after a representative from the Valley Forge Youth Club reported discovering a substantial amount of money missing from the organization’s checking account.
During the investigation, investigators reviewed bank records associated with the Youth Club’s account and identified numerous transactions that appeared to be personal in nature and unrelated to the operation of the organization.
Investigators interviewed Hampton, who served as treasurer of the Valley Forge Youth Club and had access to the organization’s checking account and debit card. During the interview, Hampton acknowledged using Youth Club funds for personal purposes and identified numerous transactions made from the organization’s account during June, July, and August of 2026.
Based on bank records and information obtained during the investigation, investigators were able to identify approximately $6,300 in transactions that Hampton acknowledged making for personal purposes with Youth Club funds. These expenditures included fuel, retail purchases, restaurant purchases, medical expenses, personal loan expenses, waterpark related expenses, and other transactions investigators determined were unrelated to the operation of the Youth Club.
Following the investigation, Hampton was taken into custody and booked into the Carter County Detention Center on the embezzlement charge on Sept. 11. She was released the following date after posting a $6,000 bond.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
The Valley Forge Youth Club is not affiliated with the Carter County School System.

09/05/2026

Despite the impromptu rain, we had a great time at the 3rd annual First Responder Rib Fest in Mountain City. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to show your support and donate to our Trunk-or-Treat and Shop With A Cop community outreach programs.

09/02/2026

On the evening of September 1, 2026, deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office received information that two individuals wanted on felony arrest warrants out of South Carolina would be traveling in a black SUV with a Texas vehicle registration plate to a residence on Marion Branch Road in Carter County. Deputies conducted surveillance and observed a vehicle matching the description provided pull into a residence on Marion Branch Road. Deputies then pulled in behind the vehicle and identified the driver as John Herb Hayes, age 70, and the passenger as Geordyn Hayes, age 31, both of Bristol, VA. Deputies confirmed that John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes were the two individuals who were the subjects of the outstanding warrants from South Carolina. Deputies also confirmed the warrants as valid and that South Carolina would extradite the subjects back to their jurisdiction. The warrants out of South Carolina charge John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes each with one count of “unlawfully place a child at risk of or cause harm or willfully abandon the child.”
At that time, deputies placed John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes under arrest and charged each with one count of being a fugitive from justice for a crime in another state. Both John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes were transported to the Carter County Detention Center, where they are being held without bond pending an extradition hearing. At this time, no date has been set for the extradition hearing.

09/01/2026

Motor vehicle accident leads to s*x offender violation arrest

ELIZABETHTON – A Hampton man is facing multiple charges, including violation of the state’s s*x offender registry law, following a motor vehicle accident Monday night.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday, officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 1100 block of Highway 321 in Hampton on a report of a motor vehicle accident without injuries.
When officers arrived on scene, they identified the driver of the vehicle as Jason Allen Lee, age 54, of Hampton. Mr. Lee told officers he had struck a cow that was in the roadway. While investigating the incident, deputies learned that Mr. Lee’s driver’s license had been suspended indefinitely and he could not provide proof of insurance on the vehicle. When deputies informed Lee that he would be receiving a citation charging him with driving on a suspended license and violation of financial responsibility, Mr. Lee began cursing and acting in a disorderly manner. At that time, deputies placed Mr. Lee under arrest and charged him with disorderly conduct, driving on a suspended license second offense, and violation of financial responsibility.
As the investigation into the accident continued, deputies discovered that Mr. Lee was a registered s*x offender, and he had not reported the vehicle he was operating at the time of the crash as part of his required reporting as a s*x offender. Investigators then obtained a second warrant charging Mr. Lee with violation of the s*x offender registration act.
Deputies transported Mr. Lee to the Carter County Detention Center, where he remains held under a $6,000 bond.

08/29/2026

⚠🐻Bear Safety Alert! 🐻⚠

We’ve received reports of increased bear activity near the Carden’s Bluff Campground on the Cherokee National Forest. As a precaution, the campground will be temporarily closed to help keep visitors safe and minimize bear encounters. We will share an update when the campground reopens.

Practicing bear safety is always important and even more so during periods of increased activity. Always remember to:
Store food & scented stuff in bear‑resistant containers or locked in your vehicle.
Make noise on trails so you don’t surprise a bear. 🔊
Give bears space — back up and let them do their thing. ↩️
Do not feed wildlife. Ever. 🚫
Stay calm, slowly back away, and speak firmly if you encounter a bear.

Do you know what to do if you encounter a bear when visiting the forest? Learn more at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/bears

Cardens Bluff Campground will be closed immediately through 9/1/26, and we’ll re-evalaute on 9/1/26.

08/10/2026

UPDATE ON DROWNING INCIDENT

The victim of a drowning incident at a popular local waterfall has been identified as a North Carolina man.
Deputies of the Carter County Sheriff's Office responded to Twisting Falls in response to a possible drowning on Saturday afternoon.
According to witnesses, a man jumped from the falls, became caught in the undertow, and was pulled beneath the falls. The victim has been identified as Lucas Seth Anderson, age 35, of North Wilkesboro, N.C. A member of the Anderson’s group was able to retrieve him from the water and began giving him CPR.
Emergency personnel with the CCSO and the Carter County Rescue Squad, along with assistance from other local agencies, responded to the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

08/09/2026

Deputies of the Carter County Sheriff's Office responded to Twisting Falls in response to a possible drowning on Saturday afternoon.
According to witnesses, a 35-year-old male jumped from the falls, became caught in the undertow, and was pulled beneath the falls. A member of the man's group was able to retrieve him from the water and began giving him CPR.
Emergency personnel with the CCSO and the Carter County Rescue Squad, along with assistance from other local agencies responded to the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim's identity is not being released at this time.

08/04/2026

Man charged with s*xual exploitation of a minor following social media live stream

ELIZABETHTON – A man is now in custody following an investigation into a social media live stream broadcast showing the man s*xually exploiting a minor child.
Investigators of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Pablo Altamirano Rodriguez, age 30, a Mexican national who had been residing on Cedar Grove Road in Carter County, on Sunday, August 2, after executing a search warrant at his residence. Investigators charged Rodriguez with especially aggravated s*xual exploitation of a minor.
The investigation leading to the charges against Rodriguez began on Friday, July 31, after officers received a cyber tip reporting an ongoing incident. The tip included a live stream video broadcast from a social media account depicting a man s*xually exploiting a minor child.
Through the investigation, officers identified the suspect as Rodriguez. A warrant was secured for the arrest of Rodriguez, and a search warrant was also secured to search Rodriguez’s residence. When the search warrant was executed, Rodriguez was taken into custody and transported to the Carter County Detention Center, where he remains held without bond pending a court appearance.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are pending.

07/30/2026