By Abigail Roberts
A Lincoln County grand jury has indicted former Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald D. Luster on several counts including abuse of public trust, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct.
The indictments states that on March 29, 2025, Luster – who was working as a deputy at the time – allegedly obtained public money or property (cash – less than $10,000) that was subject to a known legal obligation and “intentionally dealt with that property as his own.”
On that same day, the indictments alleges that Luster also tampered with physical evidence.
“…the defendant, knowing that an official proceeding is either pending or may be instituted, concealed, removed or altered physical evidence with the intent to impair its availability in the official proceeding,” the indictment states.
Luster was also charged with official misconduct, according to the indictment, for other actions on March 29 of last year.
“That on or about the 29 of March 2025 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, the defendant – a public servant – with the intent to obtain or confer a benefit committed an act relating to his office which constitutes an unauthorized exercise of his official functions and/or violated a statute or lawfully adopted rule or regulation relating to his office,” the indictment states.
Sgt. Jeremy Lee testified on behalf of the Kentucky State Police.
Luster, 54, was arrested on March 13, 2026 and lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond. He has since been released from custody.
He is set to be arraigned at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
A special judge, Hon. Kaelin Reed, 11th Circuit Judge from Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington Counties, has been appointed to the case.
Luster was suspended in early February pending an administrative and criminal investigation.
Lincoln County Sheriff Shawn Hines announced Luster’s termination on March 13.
Hines said the administrative investigation found four LCSO policy and procedure violations that warranted the dismissal.
Those four policies/procedures include the following:
LCSO 2023-9A: code of conduct
LCSO 2023-23: ethical conduct; abuse of power
and
LCSO 2023-77: body worn video recording.
