WARTBURG, Tenn. — A Morgan County wildlife officer accused of misusing his gas card and stealing from the state is now facing charges after a grand jury indicted him on Monday.
Travis Buchanan, an officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, was under investigation in June for misusing state funds over more than a decade, court records showed. A Morgan County grand jury indicted him on two counts Monday for stealing more than $60,000 in state property and official misconduct.
According to state prosecutors, Buchanan used his gas card between Jan. 2010 and Jan. 2023 to purchase gasoline that wasn't used for official purposes. At one point, investigators said he was caught filling up gas cans in the back of his work truck.
"Buchanan was observed filling 3 red plastic fuel cans in the back of the vehicle," investigators wrote in the affidavit. "The gasoline that was observed being pumped into the gas cans would likely be placed in an external source other than his department-issued truck."
Through an open records request, WBIR reviewed Buchanan's personnel file. Over his nearly 18-year career with TWRA, Buchanan was suspended once for accidentally firing his gun during a hunter education class in Morgan County.
When the investigation began in June, TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon said they placed Buchanan on administrative leave. The statement is below:
"We are committed to holding all staff accountable to a high standard of conduct and rule of law. The employee at issue was placed on administrative leave at the onset of the investigation and will stay on administrative leave until the conclusion of the investigation. We intend to fully cooperate with our partners at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney General‘s office as we work to resolve this issue."
The agency released another statement following the indictments. In it, they said they support teh DA's work and said they launched an initial investigation into Buchanan after finding signs of misuses of his state-issued gas card and other equipment. They notified the State Comptroller's Office and the District Attorney General about their concerns and the investigation's preliminary results.
“When I was appointed Executive Director, I made accountability one of the Agency’s top goals. That includes accountability to the public related to our mission of managing wildlife and supporting public safety, as well as internal accountability of staff to maintain a high standard of conduct and operate within the guidelines of state protocol,” said Maxedon. “When problems are identified, this Agency is committed to finding solutions and holding those responsible accountable. We are saddened to see one of our own in this situation but appreciate the District Attorney General and the TBI for their work to deliver a swift resolution in this case.”
TWRA also said Buchanan was on administrative leave during the investigation, and his employment was terminated following the indictment.