A former Metro Nashville Police Sergeant was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing more than $100,000 while conducting search warrants.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2018, and charged with theft from an entity that receives federal program funds and money laundering. He pleaded guilty to the charges on July 10, 2018.
Dunaway, 46, was a supervisor in the MNPD’s Specialized Investigation Division Narcotics Unit and was responsible, among other things, for monitoring and executing search warrants.
During the execution of search warrants on five separate occasions, he stole a portion of the cash discovered and seized at each location, including:
- The November 18, 2015 search of a residence off Pleasant Hill Road in Nashville, where more than $100,000 was seized.
- The April 10, 2017 search of a residence off Robertson Road in Nashville, where more than $500,000 was seized.
- The April 26, 2017 search of a residence off Pleasant Hill Road in Nashville, where more than $182,000 was seized.
- The September 13, 2017 search of a residence off Spencer Enclave Way in Nashville, where more than $70,000 was seized.
- The November 15, 2017 search of a hotel room in which the MNPD Office of Professional Accountability had placed marijuana, $28,000 cash and video cameras for the purpose of conducting an integrity check. Video cameras captured Dunaway placing money in his pockets during the search and the indictment alleged that Dunaway stole $5,860 during the execution of this search warrant.
Dunaway will also have to forfeit an SUV bought with stolen money. He will also have to pay more than $80,000 in restitution.
