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Former Davidson Co. Court employee turns himself in on theft, misconduct charges

A former Davidson Co. Courts employee turned himself in after a Grand Jury indicted him on multiple charges for stealing money from defendants sentenced to traffic school, according to officials with the Metro Nashville Police Department.

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By
Marion Kirkpatrick
NASHVILLE, TN — A former Davidson Co. Courts employee turned himself in after a Grand Jury indicted him on multiple charges for stealing money from defendants sentenced to traffic school, according to officials with the Metro Nashville Police Department.

John Bowers, 63, was fired from his job at the Davidson County General Sessions Court on Thursday. The same day police carried out search warrants of his car, home and person as part of a joint investigation carried out by MNPD's Fraud Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Bowers is accused of stealing more than $100,000 in fees paid to the Davidson Co. General Sessions Court by people sentenced to traffic school.

Police say he was the person who received those payments from defendants after they saw a judge.

Investigators accused Bowers of creating false paperwork to cover up his thefts, which they believe he committed over a long period of time. They also believe Bowers frequently targeted defendants that spoke very little English and had a limited understanding of the court system.

A Grand Jury returned Bowers' indictment Friday, charging him with one count of theft over $60,000 and three counts of official misconduct.

Bowers was booked into Davidson Co. Jail and will be held in lieu of a $75,000 bond. His next court date has not been scheduled.

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