Executive Summary
- Brandon Chance Jones was sentenced to eight years in state prison for the 2024 arson of Bootleggers Bar and a separate tractor theft.
- Jones pleaded guilty in federal court to witness tampering for attempting to corruptly influence grand jury testimony.
- State sentences will run concurrently, with Jones eligible for release after serving 30 percent of the term.
- A federal sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 18 in the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee.
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — Brandon Chance Jones, 27, has entered guilty pleas in separate state and federal proceedings involving arson, property theft, and witness tampering, according to court records filed in Cumberland County and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. In state criminal court proceedings last month, Judge Shawn Fry sentenced Jones to eight years in prison following his guilty plea regarding the March 21, 2024, arson that destroyed the former Bootleggers Bar on Highway 70 East.
In addition to the arson charge, state court documents indicate Jones pleaded guilty to an unrelated theft of property valued between $10,000 and $60,000. This charge stems from the theft of a tractor in Fentress County on January 21, 2024, which was subsequently transported to Cumberland County. The court ruled that the sentences for both the arson and theft convictions will run concurrently. Jones was designated as a Range 1 offender, making him eligible for release after serving 30 percent of the sentence, with credit applied for 273 days already served in custody.
Simultaneously, Jones faced federal prosecution in the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee. While originally scheduled for trial in December on charges of destruction of a building by fire, the trial was removed from the docket after Jones entered a plea of guilty by information on January 13. Federal filings reveal that Jones pleaded guilty to knowingly attempting to "intimidate, threaten and corruptly" persuade a female witness to falsify testimony before a federal grand jury. Prosecutors assert this was done with the specific intent to influence or prevent her testimony in an official proceeding regarding the fire investigation.
Judicial Procedural Outlook
The resolution of these cases illustrates the bifurcation of criminal liability between state property crimes and federal obstruction of justice charges. While the state court has finalized the sentencing for the physical acts of arson and theft, the federal focus on witness tampering underscores the severity with which the judicial system treats interference in grand jury proceedings. Jones is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in federal court on May 18, pending any withdrawal of his plea notice. The forthcoming federal decision will determine if additional penalties will be imposed atop the state sentence.
It is important to note that while guilty pleas have been entered, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law regarding any pending or unadjudicated matters.
