Theft of Services

Another offense closely related to the misuse of county time and property is “theft of services.”  In addition to other conduct, a person commits “theft of services” who:

Having control over the disposition of services to others, knowingly diverts those services to the person's own benefit or to the benefit of another not entitled thereto.

T.C.A. § 39-14-104(2).

As used in the statute, the term “services” is defined to include labor, skill, professional service, transportation, telephone, mail, gas, electricity, steam, water, cable television or other public services, accommodations in hotels, restaurants or elsewhere, admissions to exhibitions, use of vehicles or other movable property.  T.C.A. § 39-11-106(a)(35).  See State v. Gardner, 1990 WL 169233 (Tenn.Crim.App. 1990) (county sheriff who used deputy sheriffs to build his personal residence was convicted of misuse of public funds in violation of T.C.A. § 39-5-408, the statute replaced by T.C.A. § 39-14-104(2)).