GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Prosecutors dismissed criminal charges against former Millersville Mayor Tim Lassiter Wednesday as scrutiny of the town's troubled police department continues.
Lassiter was arrested by current police officials back in April — charged with criminal simulation and tampering with a government document — based on allegations that he wrongfully issued a building permit for work on a Millersville fire hall knowing that the project did not qualify.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Dean announced the decision during a hearing in Sumner County General Sessions Court.
Afterward, Dean declined to comment.
"Today, we are glad that an innocent man who was wrongfully targeted by members of the Millersville Police Department can now move on with his life," Lassiter's attorney, Jay Ingrum, said in a prepared statement.
Ingrum expressed appreciation for the Sumner County District Attorney's Office in "thoroughly investigating this case."
"After their investigation, the District Attorney's Office concluded that justice would be served by entering a nolle prosequi or a dismissal based on the evidence in this case and the lack of evidence of any crime."
Lassiter expressed relief that his ordeal appears to be over.
"I have always had tremendous respect for the law and the justice system, and I feel like they found their way to the right decision," the former Millersville mayor said.
The resolution of Lassiter's case comes as the Millersville Police Department and its conspiracy-minded assistant chief, Shawn Taylor, face an on-going TBI investigation.
The lead detective in Lassiter's case, Todd Dorris, also faces scrutiny over whether he committed perjury in connection with a botched child-predator sting.
