Coal County Sheriff, Undersheriff Indicted on Multiple Charges
- mike33692
- 4 hours ago
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Coal County Sheriff, Undersheriff Indicted Following Grand Jury Investigation
A multi-county grand jury has indicted Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith on charges of domestic abuse, and assault and battery. His Undersheriff, Jesse Yother, faces charges including witness intimidation and obstruction of an officer.
Beyond those charges, the grand jury filed a motion to remove Sheriff Smith from office, citing additional allegations of habitual drunkenness and sexual harassment of an employee.
Incident Dates to July — Abuse and Assault Alleged
The allegations stem from a July 26 incident in Coalgate. According to the indictment, Smith allegedly struck his wife and also assaulted the husband of one of his deputies. Yother reportedly threatened the deputy to influence her testimony — accusations that form the basis of the witness intimidation and obstruction charges.
The charges triggered the grand jury’s decision to seek removal from office, a rare step that underscores the seriousness of the allegations.
State Attorney General Applauds Grand Jury Action
The statewide grand jury’s findings were publicly released by the office of the Oklahoma Attorney General, which praised the thorough investigation and emphasized that no one is above the law — even elected officials.
Local residents and law-enforcement oversight groups say the indictments may prompt a broader review of how small counties handle internal misconduct allegations.
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