Update: The claims against Cheyenne Johnson were found to be baseless by Shelby County attorney Virginia Bozeman.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Attorney is investigating the Shelby County Assessor after an anonymous tipster submitted evidence she might have behaved unethically.
Assessor Cheyenne Johnson was first elected to office in 2008. She said she’s cooperating with the Shelby County Attorney’s investigation, but she believes it won’t find anything the public doesn’t already know.
The investigation began after an anonymous tipster sent a stack of papers in the mail to Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland.
Roland said the tipster claimed Johnson “bought properties ahead of going to tax sales that they knew were going to be worth a lot of money in the future.”
The commissioner turned the paperwork over to the County Attorney and the District Attorney General’s Office. He said he also contacted the FBI about the claims.
Roland’s source claims Johnson was using her job as assessor to buy and sell property for her own benefit. The tipster claimed in some cases, she also helped a man named Michael Johnson. The tipster claims that individual is Johnson’s son and works for Faith Investment Group LLC.
The company told WREG Tuesday the Michael Johnson who works there is not the assessor’s son.
Some of the paperwork claims Johnson hid information about property investments, which is something elected officials aren’t allowed to do.
Documents from the tipster show Johnson didn’t cite any investments on an ethics form in 2010 or 2014.
The tipster included a document involving an alleged property deal involving both Johnsons in 2013, where it clearly calls the property she sold an “investment.”
“If all these accusations are true, Lord help her,” Roland said.
Another record the tipster claims is official shows someone sold Johnson property for a dollar in 2012.
The assessor is adamant she did nothing wrong and paid what the property cost.
“I do not do anything that I think would be improper in regards to procedures,” Johnson said.
The Shelby County Attorney told WREG he expects the results of the investigation to be available “sooner rather than later.”
