PUTNAM COUNTY, TN — A former Putnam County attorney is facing new theft charges after state investigators and auditors examined money tied to a Tennessee Tech fraternity alumni group and a separate estate matter. James Nathan Hargis was arrested Sept. 29 and booked into the Putnam County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The Putnam County Grand Jury indicted Hargis on counts of theft over $60,000 and theft over $10,000. The larger charge is tied to allegations that he misused funds while serving as treasurer of the Kappa Sigma Alumni Association at Tennessee Technological University. The smaller count stems from a separate case involving an estate in which he had represented the administratrix.
Comptroller says more than $214,000 was misused from the alumni association
A Sept. 30 release from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury said investigators found Hargis misappropriated at least $214,129.23 from the alumni association. The office said the money came from the group’s bank account, rent payments made by undergraduate fraternity members, and other donations, dues and event collections.
According to the Comptroller, Hargis repaid or personally covered association expenses totaling $160,079.51. That left $54,049.72 unrecovered. The office said unpaid bills included maintenance, insurance and tax costs connected to the fraternity house, along with bills tied to charity golf tournaments.
How the Kappa Sigma Alumni Association used the money
The Comptroller’s Office said the alumni association supports graduates of the Kappa Sigma chapter at Tennessee Tech and owns and maintains a fraternity house used by undergraduate members. That means the money at issue was tied not only to alumni activities but also to the upkeep of a property used by current students.
Hargis served as the organization’s treasurer from about February 2017 until he was removed from that position on Sept. 15, 2025. Investigators said the association relied on a mix of rent payments, dues and donations, making the handling of those funds central to the case now moving through the criminal justice system.
TBI says the case began with a 2025 investigation request
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said agents began looking into the allegations on Oct. 3, 2025, after a request from 13th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway. That inquiry focused on the financial complaints involving the alumni association and later fed into the indictments returned by the grand jury.
The arrest on Sept. 29 came after that ongoing investigation. Officials have not publicly detailed every transaction at issue, but the state Comptroller’s findings and the criminal charges together point to a long-running review of how association money was handled while Hargis held the treasurer post.
Separate estate-related theft count adds to criminal exposure
In addition to the fraternity-alumni allegation, TBI said the new theft-over-$10,000 charge is connected to an estate in which Hargis had previously represented the estate’s administratrix. That makes the latest indictment distinct from the association case, even though both are now part of the same broader legal fallout.
The agency also said the newest counts are separate from an earlier theft-over-$60,000 charge filed this year. In that earlier case, investigators alleged Hargis, while acting as a licensed attorney, withheld money from an individual during a real estate transaction. Together, the accusations expand the scope of the financial misconduct allegations now attached to his name.
Disbarment and earlier suspension followed the criminal and disciplinary cases
Hargis’s legal career has already been hit by discipline from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court permanently disbarred him in June, according to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Before that, it temporarily suspended him from practicing law in April.
The criminal case now sits alongside that disciplinary action, underscoring how the allegations have affected both his freedom and his ability to practice law. With the grand jury indictments, the TBI arrest, and the comptroller’s findings all in place, the matter is now moving forward through multiple state processes at once.
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