UPDATE: The official charge against Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd is Extortion. The indictment reads:
The Grand Jurors for the State aforesaid, being duly summoned, elected, impaneled, sworn and charged to inquire for the body of the County aforesaid, upon their oaths present:
That Timothy Boyd heretofore before February 22, 2018, in the County aforesaid, did unlawfully use coercion upon another, Brent Lambert, with the intent to obtain property, services, any advantage or immunity; or restrict unlawfully another’s freedom of action, in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated 39-14-112, against the peace and dignity of the State.
On Wednesday morning Boyd was booked into the Hamilton County Jail and released on a $2,500 bond. Afterward, Boyd attended an agenda workshop meeting of the Hamilton County Commission.
Representatives of Boyd’s campaign said he was going with his wife Janice to participate in the first day of early voting for the May 1 Republican Primary.
Boyd’s case has been assigned to Judge Tom Greenholtz in Hamilton County Criminal Court. An arraignment date has yet to be set.
One local attorney said that Boyd may or may not be present at any arraignment. No details regarding the alleged extortion will be presented during the judicial proceedings. He said that any trial date would most certainly come after the May 1 primary.
Extortion is a Class D felony under Tennessee state law and carries a penalty of two to four years.
Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd is facing an indictment from the Hamilton County Grand Jury.
According to a press release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, early Tuesday morning, the HCSO Fugitive Division received an indictment from the Hamilton County Grand Jury in response to a TBI investigation involving Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd.
The HCSO has been notified that Commissioner Boyd has made arrangements through his attorney to turn himself in to jail personnel at a time to be determined.
As stated above, this is a TBI investigation and therefore all questions regarding it should be directed to the TBI or the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office.
A spokesman for the sheriff’s office included in the press release that the HCSO is unable to make any comments regarding the details of the TBI investigation.
Once Commissioner Boyd has been processed, as a courtesy, the HCSO will notify local news confirming the booking process has been completed.
Melydia Clewell, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County District Attorney’s office said in an email, “it’s illegal for me to confirm that anyone has been indicted until that person is served with the capias. As far as I know that hasn’t happened yet.”
Boyd is seeking a third term representing District 8. East Ridge Mayor Brent Lambert is challenging him in the May 1 Republican Primary. Lambert mounted an unsuccessful bid for the commission seat in 2014, only to run for a second term as mayor after the defeat.
In mid-March, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Lambert accused Boyd of threatening him, his family and his business during both candidates’ appearance at a Pachyderm Club meeting. The “threat” apparently centered on Boyd telling Lambert that information could come out during the course of the campaign that could damage Lambert.
That potentially damaging information may have centered around Lambert getting thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the developers of Jordan Crossing 31 months after his re-election as Mayor of East Ridge. Hamilton County Election Commission records show that Lambert used the money to pay himself back for a personal loan he gave his 2014 mayoral campaign.
Boyd released this statement to our friends at NewsChannel9:
“This action by the District Attorney today is perhaps the most flagrantly political, despicable, desperate thing any of us has ever seen in Hamilton County. It reeks of politics and is exactly the kind of government overreach that voters are sick and tired of. I welcome all the facts around Mr. Lambert’s charges, and I will take my case for re-election to the voters in District 8.
The facts about Mr. Lambert’s taking money from the Exit 1 developers, putting it into his campaign account and then putting it in his pocket are well known. They were public before I talked with Mr. Lambert and I used these FACTS in a mailer to voters this week. Is there any question about the motivations of those involved with this?
My attorney and I will cooperate with the Sheriff and move forward to defend my name and win an election.”
Boyd and Lambert were scheduled to appear in a Nightside Pachyderm Club meeting Tuesday evening at Wally’s Restaurant in East Ridge. Nightside Pachyderm officials said that both candidates called and cancelled their appearance.
Boyd campaign officials said Tuesday night that Commissioner Boyd informed the Pachyderm Club that he would not be attending around 2 p.m. The officials said that, given the series of orchestrated, politically motivated events, that it was reasonable to believe that the accusers of Boyd would have East Ridge police show up at the meeting to arrest him.
Commissioner Boyd, the campaign official said, was meeting with his attorneys for several hours late Tuesday afternoon.
