Deputy Sheriff Charged With Selling Investigation Details

A Wilson County sheriff’s deputy is under arrest, charged with selling information about a federal drug-trafficking investigation.

38-year old John Patrick Edwards is accused of approaching people close to the investigation’s target, offering the information, and setting a price tag of $100,000. Prosecutors say he accepted an initial payment of $15,000 last week.

According to a statement from the US Attorney’s office, Edwards was assigned to the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, a position that gave him “substantial knowledge” of details such as the identity of a confidential informant and which federal agents were assigned to the investigation.
Edwards was already on administrative leave for an unrelated matter.