(The Center Square) – The former president of the Sevier County Utility District is accused of misappropriating $158,760 through a kickback scheme with an electrical company, State Auditor Jason Mumpower said Friday.
Matthew Ballard was indicted on charges of bribery and official misconduct, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Ballard’s father, William Edgar Ballard, is charged with criminal responsibility for the conduct of another. Utility company employees performed work for William Ballard at his personal properties, according to the auditor’s office.
The auditor’s report also found more than $1.7 million in questionable spending that included more than $778,000 identified in the kickback scheme and another $558,000 paid with a bid to a landscape/construction company. Matthew Ballard removed data from his work devices and is accused of asking an employee to lie for him, according to the report.
The Bureau of Investigation began its probe in January 2023, and Matthew Ballard was fired in March of that year. The utility district serves 14,000 residents, according to the comptroller’s office.
This was not the first time Matthew Ballard was investigated. The first was in 2011, according to the auditor’s office.
“Mr. Ballard’s actions and his disregard for the ratepayers within the district are egregious,” Mumpower said. “I am disappointed that the Sevier County Utility District board did not provide the oversight necessary to question Ballard’s decisions and expenses, despite the clear warning signs that began with our 2011 investigative report.”
The Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation is expected to discuss the investigation at their next meeting.
