Jefferson County Jail Deputy Arrested and Fired for Theft and Official Misconduct

If you have been a victim or have had the same thing happen contact the Sheriff's Dept

On August 14, 2023, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office received a complaint from a released inmate claiming he did not receive the debit card containing the funds from his Inmate Trust Account. This debit card is issued by the Jefferson County Jail Staff to each inmate upon release from the facility and contains any money left in their Inmate Trust Account. The JCSO investigates all allegations of official misconduct and immediately launched an investigation.

Lieutenant Joseph Snell conducted an investigation into the release of the victim and his property from the Jefferson County Jail. Lieutenant Snell determined that something illegal might have occurred and turned the investigation over to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Detective Division.

On August 15, 2023, Detective Yancy Denning began an internal investigation in conjunction with the Jefferson County Prosecutor's Office.

On August 23, 2023, Detective Denning arrested Jail Deputy Ava Lohrig for fourteen counts of Level 6 Official Misconduct and one count of A Misdemeanor Theft. Ava Lohrig was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and her employment with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has been terminated.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office holds its staff to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We do not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind by our members. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office, or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.

Sheriff Flint's Statement: "When I ran for this office I promised to strive for transparency among other standards. While typically we do not identify arrestees prior to conviction it is a different situation when it is an individual working in the public trust.”