Former Trigg County Sheriff Jason Barnes appeared in Trigg Circuit Court Wednesday in an arraignment for charges related to an investigation of the Trigg County Sheriff’s Office.
Barnes, who is charged with tampering with a witness and unlawful transaction with a minor, appeared with defense attorney David Rye, who entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Judge C.A. Woody Woodall set a pretrial conference for November 12.
Assistant Attorney General Alexander Garcia informed the court he intends to send the evidence he has to Rye within the next week.
As previously reported, an investigation conducted jointly by the Kentucky State Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky found that in February of 2020 Jason Barnes provided alcohol to a person under the age of 21. They also allegedly discovered that several months later, during the investigation, he knowingly practiced deceit with the intent to affect the testimony of a potential witness.
Barnes resigned from the Trigg County Sheriff’s Office, which was effective at the end of August.