MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Representative Curry Todd has been arrested by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly stealing campaign signs.
A warrant was issued on Monday after he failed to turn himself in Friday.
“We give people the opportunity to come in, and, like my daddy told me, ‘don’t make us come get you.’ He made us come get him today,” said Earle Farrell with the Sheriff’s Department.
Rep. Todd was arrested at his home by deputies on Tuesday on charges of theft of property $500 or less, and booked into the Shelby County Jail.
The Sheriff said they asked him repeatedly to turn himself in, but failed to do so.
His opponent Mark Lovell, whose signs Rep. Todd was accused of taking, confirmed to WREG he posted the lawmaker’s bond to get him out of jail.
Earlier in the day, Lovell released a statement saying, “It is unfortunate that Curry Todd got arrested, but he brought it on himself. He’s the one that stole the signs. It is my understanding that the police gave him several opportunities to come in and tell his side of the story, but chose not to come in. I believe that Collierville, Germantown, Fisherville and Eads, which is District 95, deserves better than someone who thinks that they are above the law.”
The entire investigation stemmed from allegations the lawmaker was stealing signs out of yards right before the election.
On July 19, WREG’s Michael Quander obtained cell phone video that showed a man snatching the signs out of the ground and then running away.
The campaign signs belonged to Lovell.
At the time, Shelby County deputies told WREG Rep. Todd and the photos were under investigation.
Several hours later, Rep. Todd responded by saying that was him in the video.
He claimed he has permission from developers in Germantown and Collierville to promote his campaign and only his.
“They said you have permission to take them down, my employees take them down or anybody else can take them down,” he said.
This is not the first time Todd has been in trouble with the law.
In 2012, he was indicted by a Nashville Grand Jury on DUI and handgun charges.
Police said he was drunk and had a loaded handgun in the SUV he was driving during a traffic stop.
He pleaded guilty.