After reportedly falsifying documents, former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy has been confronted with a 17-count indictment, comprising 14 felony and three misdemeanor charges, just a day after stepping down from her position.
Murphy, under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation since April, faces perjury, official misconduct, unlawful voter registration, and falsification of official documents.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, these charges include lying under oath, misusing her position, and fudging official paperwork.
The issue revolves around Murphy’s residency status. “During the
investigation, agents determined Murphy knowingly entered false information on several government documents related to establishing residency in Chattanooga, though swearing to their truth in signing the documents,” the TBI said.The discrepancy became apparent when her Tennessee voter registration clashed with a property tax exemption she claimed in Fulton County, Georgia.
In 2020, Murphy planted her flag in Fulton County, snagging a homestead exemption. When whispers of Murphy’s dual-state dilemma hit the streets in March, she vowed to straighten things out. However, records revealed the former authority was still receiving her Georgia tax break.
Murphy’s predicament is further complicated by Chattanooga’s charter and her own contract, both of which mandated her residence in Tennessee. Tennessee’s Secretary of State notes, “A person can have only one residence.”
The indictment explicitly mentions her voter registration form, driver’s license application, and a residency affidavit from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security as documents containing allegedly false information. Her first voter registration form listed two Chattanooga addresses, one where neighbors claimed they never saw her
and another owned by a police sergeant’s family who stated she never resided there. Following the first reports, Murphy allegedly pivoted, updating her registration to a Southside apartment. Reports reveal Murphy has yet to vote in Hamilton County.Following her resignation, Murphy surrendered herself to authorities at the Hamilton County Jail. She was released on a $19,000 aggregate bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 12. Murphy, who made history as Chattanooga’s first female police chief in 2022, will receive a severance package of approximately $44,400.
In her absence, Executive Chief Harry Sommers will temporarily lead the department. As for finding Murphy’s successor, the torch has been passed to Chattanooga City Council member Raquetta Dotley, who will lead a search committee for the next chief.
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