Never underestimate the power you have as private citizens.
— Margo (@MargoinWNC) February 5, 2026
Today, the Cherokee County Sheriff, Dustin Smith resigned.
That makes three of the far Western North Carolina Counties that have lost their sheriff to corruption, lies, bullying private citizens and literally killing…
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4 responses to “Which One Gets the Boss Hogg Award?”
The county Sheriff is supposed to be the protector of our Constitutional rights. The only Constitutionally valid Leo’s. Their duty is sacred yet we continue to see these stories RE corrupt Sheriffs and sometimes the entire department.
Kudos MargoWNC if you were partially responsible for the Sheriffs calling it quits. Let’s see them perp walked.
We have been comfortable too long and all of us need to standup and do the hard work of keeping those who would lord over us accountable
Don’t know if it’s just WNC, or the country at large:
Eric Tinsley, former chief of the Biltmore Forest Police Department in North Carolina, was arrested in July 2018 for selling firearms that were confiscated as evidence in criminal cases. According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Tinsley refused to return the guns to their rightful owners after cases were closed and sold them to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) for less than retail value. The department received credit for the sale, and Tinsley then purchased the firearms back for himself at a price slightly above the trade-in value, despite lacking proper court authorization to dispose of the evidence. He was charged with two counts of willfully failing to discharge duties and turned himself in after learning of the warrants. Tinsley, a known gun collector, had served as police chief for 11 years before retiring in February 2017. The investigation was initiated by his successor, T.J. Bates, and Buncombe County District Attorney Todd M. Williams.
I like our Clay County NC Sheriff.
Also, I am not an attorney, and damn sure not a District Attorney, based on common sense, I realized the day the deputy was killed, this sheriff was in over his head.
FWIW – why was Cherokee holding federal prisoners, ( I realize it was for the money) I suspect those in fed lock up are violent.