WARTBURG, Tenn. — Travis Buchanan, an officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is under investigation for misusing state funds, court records show. An affidavit attached to a search warrant said between 2008 and 2023, Buchanan spent $119,002 on his TWRA gas card.
He purchased 50,000 gallons of fuel and drove 227,357 miles in that time, according to the affidavit. That equates to a mileage of between three miles and four miles per gallon for his state-issued Ford F-150. The EPA said Ford F-150s sold in the last 20 years usually drive at 15-25 miles per gallon.
"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."
Buchanan has not been charged with a crime. District Attorney General Russell Johnson said cases of official misconduct must be charged by the Grand Jury. Johnson said he expects this case to be in front of the Grand Jury in September.
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.
TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon said in a statement Buchanan is on administrative leave during this investigation. 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 Investigation and the district Attorney General‘s office as we work to resolve this issue.