Former Greene detective agrees to ARD program after misrepresenting military service
A former Greene County detective accused of misrepresenting his military service will avoid trial after agreeing to a pre-trial diversionary program with the attorney general’s office.
Timothy Nease, 64, appeared at the Greene County Courthouse Tuesday morning for a scheduled plea hearing before President Judge Louis Dayich. Christopher Blackwell, Nease’s attorney, told Dayich that they had reached an agreement for a six-month Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.
Nease is a former resident of Hickory. According to court records, he currently lives in Pompano, Fla.
ARD is available for non-violent, first-time offenders. Completion of the program will result in the charges against Nease being dismissed.
Blackwell said Nease will be on probation for six months, and that he will report to a probation officer from his home in Florida. Nease will also have to pay court costs and fees associated with the ARD program.
If Nease completes the program and the charges are dismissed, Blackwell said they will move to have Nease’s record expunged.
Nease faced three misdemeanor charges of falsely claiming to hold a professional license, unsworn falsification to authorities and misrepresentation of member of veteran of the military.
He was charged after a brief stint as Greene County’s chief detective in the summer of 2021 led into an investigation of his background. Because District Attorney David Russo was involved in Nease’s hiring and firing, the attorney general’s office assumed prosecution of the case.
At Nease’s March preliminary hearing, Russo testified that questions about Nease’s background arose after he heard Nease “bragging” about being a sniper in the U.S. Navy, and later changing the story to say he was a Marine.
After Nease left the job, investigators found that his resume listed his time as a licensed captain with the Merchant Marine included an abbreviation for the U.S. Coast Guard. While the Merchant Marine is loosely affiliated with the Coast Guard, according to testimony provided at Nease’s preliminary hearing, its members are civilians and not members of the military.