Outstanding warrant prompted Shears to give false name

CARYVILLE, TN (WLAF) – A La Follette man allegedly lied about his identity to keep from going to jail. The lie didn’t help.

Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Shayne Wilburn was conducting a property check in the predawn hours of Friday morning following an arrest at the same address days earlier. At 749 Hwy 116, about a mile south of Caryville, the deputy stopped to further his investigation, according to the report from the sheriff’s department.

Around 3am, Wilburn came across an SUV parked in the driveway and two men standing under a carport. One man identified himself as Travis Cox. The deputy said the more he and Cox talked, Cox admitted that he lied about his name. He allegedly told Wilburn that he had lied because he had an active warrant out of Knox County, and his name is actually Travis Allen Shears.

The 38-year- old Shears was placed under arrest and transported to the Campbell County Jail. He was arrested for criminal impersonation and a hold for Knox County.

Jail records reveal that Shears is unemployed and was arrested for the 12th time. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/18/2021-6AM)