Audit Finds District Attorney Used Seized Vehicles, Guns

This BMW Z3 was used for personal trips, according to state auditors. (image courtesy of Comptroller of the Treasury)

The District Attorney from Huntington used confiscated sports cars and weapons as his own, according to an audit released by the state comptroller Wednesday. He also allowed drug helicopters to fly dignitaries to high school football games.

The audit finds lax controls throughout the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force. One administrative assistant, who has since been fired, admitted to selling seized property including drugs.

But the claims don’t stop with low-level staffers. District Attorney Hansel McCadams was found driving a confiscated BMW convertible on personal trips to Nashville and Cookeville. He also used a seized Cadillac as his personal car. Auditors found McCadams kept handguns and assault rifles in his home, along with three heat-imaging devices. McCadams denies some of the claims.

The audit has not yielded criminal charges, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now involved, according to spokeswoman Kristin Helm.

“We will continue to interview some people and wrap up a few details and then when it’s completed, we will turn the case file over to a special prosecutor.”

Drug Task Forces have become notorious for sloppy record keeping and missing equipment. A state audit released last month found problems in another six of the state’s 24 districts. One in southeast Tennessee is also under investigation by the TBI.