Lawrence County Sheriff Kenny Taylor was served with a criminal summons Tuesday afternoon notifying him that he had been indicted on the charge of official misconduct.

County officials said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation and presented the case to the grand jury.

According to a release from the TBI office in Nashville, the 58-year-old Taylor, of 14 Bailey Springs Road, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., is accused of interfering with a traffic stop of a family member that took place in Lawrenceburg on Dec. 16.

Taylor said Wednesday he is still acting as sheriff. He would not comment on the case on advice from his attorney.

The charge, according to Lawrence County District Attorney General Mike Bottoms, is a Class E felony, which is punishable by one to six years in prison, if convicted.

Bottoms said it's a serious situation.

"One that if convicted, (Taylor) would lose his position - that's the seriousness of this," Bottom said.

According to the one-count indictment, Taylor is accused of exercising "his official power with the intent to obtain a benefit in that he directed other persons to act so as to prevent the lawful investigation of the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol by his nephew, Jarrod Bradbary."

According to reports, Lawrenceburg police arrested Bradbary, who is the nephew of Taylor's wife, in December after he was found sleeping in his truck at a traffic signal on Pulaski Street. Inside the truck, according to reports, were two guns and an open bottle of whiskey.

Authorities said Bradbary was later released to Taylor, who, according to reports, advised him against consenting to a blood test to determine the alcohol level in his blood system.

Kristin Helm, a public information officer with the TBI, said her office was contacted about conducting the investigation, which lasted three months.

Bottoms said Taylor is scheduled to be arraigned April 7.

Taylor is in his second year of his first term as the county's top law enforcement official. He has a total of 38 years of law enforcement experience including 36 years of service with the Lawrenceburg City Police Department.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.