MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Friday that the state Grand Jury for Shelby County had returned indictments against four individuals stemming from an investigation into allegations that clerks allegedly accepted money in exchange for registering vehicles without proper documentation.

The Grand Jury returned indictments against one former employee and one current employee of the clerk’s office for allegedly accepting a benefit with the agreement the benefit would influence the public servant’s actions.

Charlie Nichols, 66.  The Grand Jury indicted Nichols, who retired last year as the chief administrative officer of the clerk’s office, for two counts of bribery of a public servant.  According to the indictment, the alleged offenses occurred between December 1, 2000 and February 6, 2006, and February 7, 2006 and August 1, 2008. 

Jacqueline Denson, 52.  The Grand Jury indicted Denson, a clerk, for six counts of bribery of a public servant.  According to the indictment, the alleged offenses occurred between April 2, 2008 and October 16, 2008.

The Grand Jury also returned indictments against two individuals with ties to local car dealerships. 

Nancy Life, 57.  The Grand Jury indicted Life, the title clerk manager for Gossett Motor Cars, for two counts of bribery of a public servant.  According to the indictment, the alleged offenses occurred between December 1, 2000 and February 6, 2006, and February 7, 2006 and August 1, 2008.

The grand jury indicted a fourth defendant but that individual is not in custody at this time.  It is against Tennessee law to announce or confirm that an individual has been indicted by the grand jury until the defendant is in custody.

Nichols was taken into custody Friday morning and is being held on $5,000 bond; Denson and Life were taken into custody on Thursday.  Denson is out of jail on $10,000 bond and Life is out of jail on $1,000 bond.

“The grand jury has spent a great deal of time following the paper trail and reaching its conclusions.  The grand jury's previous actions as well as the indictments returned this week will help restore the public's confidence that steps have been taken to address illegal practices in the county clerk's office,” said District Attorney Gibbons.  “It is possible more indictments could be returned by the grand jury in this matter,” Gibbons added.

Bribery of a public servant is a class B felony, which carries a standard sentence of 8 – 12 years in prison. 

The D.A.’s Public Corruption and Economic Crime Unit will handle prosecution of these cases.