Saturday, January 3, 2026

The 3 Amigos: The $4 Million Crack in the "Teflon" Sheriff’s Shield

In the high-stakes theater of Monroe County politics, the "3 Amigos" have spent decades mastering the art of the narrow escape. But as the 2026 election cycle ignites, the taxpayer's checkbook is finally telling the story that Sheriff Tommy Jones tried to bury. 




To understand the current crisis, one must understand the brotherhood that has gripped Monroe County’s throat for over a decade. They are a trio bound by loyalty, scandals, and an uncanny ability to survive administrative wreckage:  Who are the "3 Amigos"?


  • Tommy Jones (The Teflon): The "luckiest" of the bunch. He rose from a humble double-wide trailer to a million-dollar mansion in a gated community, avoiding the legal shrapnel that hit his partners.
  • Randy White (The Tethered): The man who won the Sheriff’s seat in 2014 only to be disqualified by a judge. Now the EMS Director, Randy is rumored to be bound by a "blood promise" to Mayor Mitch Ingram never to leave his post to run for Sheriff again.
  • Keith "Wormy" Hodge (The Target): The operative who took the fall for the 2014 vote-buying scandal.

  • Today, Wormy faces his darkest chapter yet: an indictment for rape allegations involving an incident at The Madisonville EMS Station—the very department overseen by his fellow "Amigo," Randy White. 

  • As of April 21, 2025, the Hodge case (Number: 24282CRM) was still active in the Monroe County Circuit Court. According to the court docket:

    • Current Stage: The case was listed for a Plea/Assignment hearing.

    • Status: This stage typically involves the defendant either entering a plea or the court setting a future trial date. Update: Trial Date set for 2/24/2026

    • Representation: Hodge is represented by attorney Robert L. Jolley, Jr


Nothing exposes the "Amigo" double standard like the case of Josh Woods. In Tommy Jones' Monroe, loyalty is a one-way street reserved only for the inner circle.

  • The Veteran: Woods gave 17 years of his life to the badge, maintaining a spotless record.

  • The Axe: In late 2025, following an off-duty DUI, Woods was immediately fired.

  • The Bite: While "Wormy" Hodge was protected through years of scandals, a career deputy was cast aside in a heartbeat. This summary firing—denying a nearly two-decade employee the 14th Amendment due process hearings afforded to political allies—sets the stage for a wrongful termination suit that could bankrupt the county further.

The "Amigo Tax" is no longer a metaphor; it is a line item in a failing budget. The taxpayer is bleeding for the brotherhood's mistakes:

  1. The McCreary Verdict ($2.25 Million): A jury recently slammed the county with a multi-million dollar judgment for the death of Joshua McCreary, who was denied life-saving medication. $250,000 was ripped directly from the county’s fund balance—money for your kids’ schools and your neighborhood roads, gone.

  2. The Ghost of Lester Isbill: 74 years old. Strapped to a restraint chair for nine hours. Dead.
  3.  With seven former employees indicted for homicide, the civil lawsuit "around the corner" is a ticking time bomb. The Knox County Forensic Center reclassified the death as a homicide, and the settlement will likely be the largest in Monroe history.

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