CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI) – A former Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been indicted after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations of misconduct.
According to the TBI, agents launched an investigation in October 2025 at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler. The investigation centered on allegations involving Matthew Joseph Lucas Hopson, who was employed as a deputy with the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office at the time.
During the investigation, TBI agents gathered evidence that allegedly showed Hopson solicited an individual as part of a murder-for-hire scheme.
The findings were presented to a Claiborne County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment on Aug. 13 charging Hopson with one count of Official Misconduct.
Following the indictment, Hopson was arrested and booked into the Claiborne County Jail. Authorities said his bond was set at $10,000.
The TBI did not release additional details regarding the alleged solicitation or identify the individual involved.
As with all criminal cases, the charge remains an allegation. Hopson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case will proceed through the judicial process in Claiborne County.
