The number of Rutherford County Commissioners who feel Sheriff Robert Arnold should resign is growing. Approximately 15 commissioners are looking into City Attorney Jim Cope beginning proceedings to remove the sheriff from office.

A non-profit organization called Tennesseans Against Corruption threatened to file an ouster suit, but hopes the county commission will make that move, as in that scenario the non-profit would end-up with their legal fees and possibly those of the sheriff as well.

Allegedly commissioners had planned on beginning the discussion at this past Thursday night's County Commission meeting, but decided to postpone it in light of the Blue Angel fatal crash in Smyrna.

Last Wednesday Rutherford County Commissioner Pettus Read broke the ice by calling a public meeting on the courthouse steps and asking Sheriff Robert Arnold to resign. Then Commissioners Jeff Phillips and Robert Stevens joined in the request. WGNS was there and recorded all of their statements. CLICK HERE for the earlier story in which these commissioners made comments.

Prior to that two strong local Republicans also called for Arnold's resignation. State Senators Bill Ketron and Jim Tracy have both released statements indicating that it would be best if the sheriff resigned.

Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess, also a Republican, noted that he felt it would be in the best interest of the staff at the sheriff's office and area residents for Sheriff Arnold to step down.

Efforts were unsuccessful at contacting Sheriff Arnold. However, in an earlier broadcast Sheriff Arnold said . . .

In fact, the sheriff allegedly said that he plans run for re-election in 2018.

Sheriff Arnold, age 40, Chief Administrative Deputy of the Sheriff's Office Joe L. Russell II, age 49 and Arnold's uncle, John Vanderveer, age 58, face a 14 count federal indictment.

On May , 2016, a federal grand jury filed a 14-count indictment charging Arnold, Russell and Vanderveer with honest services fraud; mail fraud; wire fraud; bribery concerning federal programs; extortion under color of official right; obstruction of justice; and conspiracy.

At a press conference just after the sheriff and three others were indicted, US Attorney Jack Smith noted that between December 2013 and April 2015 Robert Arnold received a total of $66,790 from JailCigs; Joe Russell received a total of $52,234.41; and John Vanderveer received $49,545.50. The total payments made to the defendants during this period were $168,569.91.

U.S. Attorney explained that the indictment specifically alleges that during the period of June and July of 2014, while Arnold was running for re-election as Sheriff of Rutherford County, he received approximately four checks from JailCigs, totaling $22,634.00. Three of these checks were deposited to the bank account of "Arnold for Rutherford County Sheriff."

Commissioners plan to meet at 5:30 Monday evening in the Rutherford County Courthouse to discuss a request to ask the Sheriff to step down. If the Sheriff is convicted of all charges in court, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 95 years behind bars.

According to guidelines, if Arnold resigns, the second in command would serve in the position until the County Commission appoints an interim sheriff to serve the remainder of the term. The second in command would be Chief Deputy Randy Garrett. Garrett joined the sheriff's office in 2010 after retiring from 34-years of service with the Murfreesboro Police Department.