Tennessee Highway Superintendent accused of stealing 16K gallons of diesel for his personal trucking business

A Tennessee transportation official has been indicted following accusations that he participated in a years-long scheme to steal diesel from the Clay County Highway Department to fuel his own trucking operation.

On September 11, 2024, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office announced that Jason Browning, the Clay County Highway Superintendent, has been charged with one count of theft over $10,000 and three counts of official misconduct.

From July 2021 through July 2023, Browning is accused of stealing 16,200 gallons of department-purchased diesel fuel worth at least $56,971.60, for use in his private trucking business, Browning Trucking.

“After purchasing the 2007 Peterbilt 379, Browning hired a driver to haul raw milk from a dairy farm to a commercial food ingredients manufacturer in Kentucky. When the 2007 Peterbilt 379 was not in transit, Browning typically kept it parked at the driver’s personal residence in Overton County. Each week, Browning pumped an estimated 150 gallons of department-purchased diesel fuel into the transfer tank on the back of his department-issued pick-up truck and drove the fuel from the department to the 2007 Peterbilt 379,” investigators said.

Officials say that Browning’s actions left the department “operating on and having less fuel on reserve than believed by department employees,” potentially hampering their ability to respond in the case of a natural disaster or large project.

“The Clay County Highway Department should maintain inventory records documenting the receipt, usage, and storage of fuel,” said Comptroller Mumpower. “By reconciling the amount of fuel that is purchased to the amount that is used, the department can better detect any improper usage.”