KY sheriff’s deputy fired, indicted over allegations of misconduct
A Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy has been fired and indicted after allegations of misconduct.
Deputy Ron Luster, 54, of Hustonville, was indicted Friday by a Lincoln County grand jury on charges of first-degree official misconduct, abuse of public trust less than $10,000 and tampering with physical evidence, court records show.
Kentucky State Police said their Drug Enforcement Special Investigations Branch began investigating Luster after receiving a tip in January about misconduct.
KSP notified Lincoln County Sheriff Shawn Hines of the allegations against Luster on Feb. 3, and the sheriff suspended him immediately, state police said in a news release.
They said the “sheriff fully cooperated and assisted with the investigation.”
Luster’s employment with the sheriff’s office was terminated effective Friday after an administrative investigation by the sheriff that was conducted in conjunction with the criminal investigation by KSP, Hines said in a Facebook post.
The sheriff said he found four policy and procedure violations warranting dismissal.
Details regarding the nature of the misconduct were not released.
“The investigation into the incident remains ongoing,” state police said in the release. “Until the judicial process is complete, premature disclosure of additional information could reveal investigatory leads and potentially hinder future investigative steps. Additionally, releasing further details could pose a significant risk of influencing potential jurors by shaping opinions before all relevant evidence is presented in court.”
Luster was taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center, state police said. Court records indicate he was being held on $25,000 bond.
