Trigg County Sheriff Jason Barnes has been indicted by a Trigg County grand jury on charges of providing alcohol to a person under 21 and later tampering with the testimony of a potential witness.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Friday afternoon that Barnes was indicted on one count of third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor third degree, which is a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of tampering with a witness, a Class D felony.
Cameron said a joint investigation by the Kentucky State Police, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky determined Barnes provided alcohol to a person under the age of 21 in February of this year. They also discovered that several months later, during the investigation, he knowingly practiced what they called “deceit with the intent to affect the testimony of a potential witness.”
The Attorney General’s Office of Special Prosecutions was appointed to handle the case with Assistant Attorney General Alexander Garcia named to prosecute the case.
Barnes was served with an arrest warrant Friday and was released under a $2,500 bond.
Barnes, who was elected sheriff in 2018, resigned effective August 31. Trigg County Judge-executive Hollis Alexander earlier this week appointed Kentucky State Trooper Aaron Acree to fill the remainder of Barnes’ term. It’s not immediately known if the charges against Barnes will alter that timeline.
