MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Former Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) Detective Reginal D. Primas resigned on Thursday (August 6th), after a grand jury indicted him on 17 criminal counts and state officials revealed that unperformed supervisor audits allowed his theft of confidential drug funds to go undetected.

A Rutherford County grand jury indicted Primas on Tuesday (August 4th), charging him with one count of theft over $2,500, one count of forgery, two counts of tampering with governmental records, and 13 counts of official misconduct. Authorities booked the 16-year veteran officer into the Rutherford County Jail, and he later was released on a $25,000 bond. A Circuit Court hearing is set for September 17th.

State leaders emphasized that internal policy lapses directly enabled the misconduct. "Drug funds require strict accountability because they are entrusted to individual detectives for sensitive law enforcement operations," said Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower. "Department policy required supervisors to conduct quarterly audits of these funds, but those audits were not documented. Following that policy may have identified this shortage much sooner and reduced the opportunity for it to continue undetected."

The state inquiry began after MPD Criminal Investigations Division (CID) supervisors conducted an internal audit on January 7th, discovering that a confidential drug fund managed solely by Primas was short by $2,760. Department leadership immediately decommissioned Primas and placed him on administrative leave with pay. MPD leadership contacted 16th Judicial District Attorney General Jennings Jones, who requested special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to conduct an independent investigation alongside the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. MPD Chief Michael Bowen sent a formal recommendation for termination to City Manager Darren Gore prior to the detective's resignation.

Investigators found that on December 31st, 2025, the day Primas completed a required monthly self-audit, he withdrew $1,420 from his personal bank account and temporarily added the cash to his drug fund to make the balance appear accurate. After submitting the falsified report, he redeposited $1,400 back into his personal bank account. Primas later admitted to state investigators that he took money from the drug fund and used it for his personal benefit.

The investigation also revealed that Primas accessed the Criminal Justice Portal for personal reasons 14 times between 2023 and 2026, gathering information on at least 10 individuals not connected to active criminal investigations. Investigators determined he shared information obtained from the system with a friend who was not a commissioned law enforcement officer.

The full investigative report is available online through the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and you can access it by clicking here.

DISCLAIMER: The charges and allegations referenced in this story are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - A Rutherford County grand jury indicted a Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) detective on Monday (August 4th), following a multi-agency state investigation into missing drug funds and unauthorized database access.

Grand jurors indicted Detective Reginal D. Primas on 17 total counts, including one count of theft, one count of forgery, two counts of falsifying a government document, and 13 counts of official misconduct. Authorities booked the veteran detective into the Rutherford County Jail, and he later gained release on a $25,000 bond. A hearing in the case is set for September 17th, 2026, in Circuit Court.

KEY POINTS

The state investigation began after police officials conducted an internal audit on January 7th, 2026, that revealed financial discrepancies involving department drug funds. Department leadership immediately contacted 16th Judicial District Attorney General Jennings Jones, who requested special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to lead an independent inquiry alongside the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury.

Investigators determined that Primas used department confidential funds to make personal purchases, falsified a government document, and accessed the Criminal Justice Portal for purposes unrelated to his official law enforcement duties.

On January 7th, 2026, the same day as the audit, department leadership internally decommissioned Primas and placed him on administrative leave with pay. Chief Michael Bowen sent a formal recommendation for termination to City Manager Darren Gore. Primas is a 16-year veteran with the department who served in the Criminal Investigations Division Special Investigation Section.

Because the TBI and the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury led the independent investigation, local police officials requested that all public inquiries be directed to the TBI or the State Comptroller.

DISCLAIMER: The charges and allegations referenced in this story are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

STATEMENT FROM MURFREESBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT

On January 7, 2026, the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) conducted an internal audit that revealed financial discrepancies with drug funds. The department immediately contacted District Attorney General Jennings Jones, who requested the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to investigate. The Tennessee Comptroller of Treasury was also notified by MPD. On the same day as the audit, Detective Reginal Primas was decommissioned internally and placed on administrative leave with pay.

Primas is a 16-year veteran with the department and was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division Special Investigation Section.

Since this is an independent investigation being conducted by other agencies, we ask that all questions be forwarded to the TBI or the State Comptroller.

Chief Michael Bowen has sent a recommendation for termination to City Manager Darren Gore.

Murfreesboro Police Department