MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — A decorated police officer now finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
He's credited with taking down drug kingpins and murderers but is now charged with 16 felonies. The criminal case against the former Mt. Juliet detective is pending.
But now Frank Deriggi is talking and hoping to explain these shocking charges that threaten his once bright future in law enforcement.
Deriggi was a 17-year veteran of the Mt. Juliet Police Department — a job he loved until he was fired last month. This came after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation examination that led a Wilson County Grand Jury to indict the now-former detective.
"I just want to tell my story. Let people know that through my law enforcement career, I've always had integrity and honesty," Deriggi said.
So, despite the pending prosecution, Deriggi agreed to discuss the case against him.
"The accusations of me are not a true representation of me."
He is charged with 16 counts of official misconduct and accused of misusing the Tennessee Criminal Justice Portal on his phone.
"Your whole case revolves around what happened on that portal?"
"Yes."
The portal can give officers access to sensitive information for criminal investigations — not for private use. Deriggi did not deny accessing the portal. He said he did nothing to merit felony charges.
"How surprised were you when you learned of the charges?"
"Very surprised. It's heartbreaking to be booked into a jail where you know everybody. To be on the other side of the table is a humbling experience."
Deriggi showed us the awards and commendations from his years on the force.
Here he's posing with Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick in 2017 for the U.S. Attorney Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement.
As lead detective Deriggi shut down two large drug rings dealing with anabolic steroids and heroin in Middle Tennessee.
He can only hope his past service is considered moving forward. The prosecuting district attorney declined to go into any specific details about the case and will be moving forward with the prosecution.
Deriggi now has a lawyer and will be in court next week.
For now, he is working as an investigator for insurance claims.
