Michael Harvel, Civil Rights Violations, Tennessee 2024

In a shocking turn of events, a former Cumberland County, Tennessee Solid Waste Director has been charged with civil rights violations, including kidnapping and sexual assault. Michael Harvel, 59, was arrested at his home in Crossville, Tennessee, after a federal grand jury in Nashville indicted him on nine counts.

According to the indictment, Harvel was the Director of Solid Waste for Cumberland County, with an office located in the Cumberland County Recycling Center. He supervised workers at the recycling center and other satellite locations and county landfills, where he had dozens of women under his supervision. The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2018, Harvel sexually assaulted seven women under his supervision.

The indictment details several incidents of sexual assault, including kidnapping and forcibly raping one of the women on two separate occasions. During one incident in July 2017, Harvel confined a woman in a locked room at a county facility, physically pushed her onto a table, and sexually assaulted her. In another incident in November 2015, Harvel approached another woman in a dark office, physically pushed her onto a desk, and raped her.

In December 2015, Harvel drove the same woman to an isolated landfill and raped her again. The indictment also alleges several other incidents of sexual assault, including fondling the breasts and genitals of other women under his supervision against their will. If convicted, Harvel faces up to life in prison.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers and Trial Attorney Michael Songer of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The charges against Harvel are a stark reminder of the importance of holding public officials accountable for their actions. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

In related news, the Cumberland County government has issued a statement expressing shock and outrage at the allegations. The county has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation and to take any necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.

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